LIBRARY   OF    THE    COMMANDERY    OF 
THE  STATE  OF  MASSACH  US  ETTS  MILITARY 
ORDER   OFTHE   LOYAL  LEGION  OF  THE 
UNITED  STATES 

CADET   ARMORY,    BOSTON 


5  - 


WIIHDRAI^ 


.'^ 


""^-i^wim 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


UNCLE   JOHN 


IN  THE  ARMY 


AND 


AMONG  THE  FREEDMEN. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 
AMEEICAN   TRACT   SOCIETY, 

150  NASSAU-STREET,  NEW  YORK. 


A  sketch  of  "Uncle  John,"  prepared  by  Eey.  E.  J.  Ham- 
ilton, chaplain  in  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  was  published 
in  the  Appendix  of  "Toils  and  Triumphs  of  Union  Mission- 
ary Colportage  for  Twenty-five  Years."  Its  vivid  and  ac- 
curate delmeation  of  the  characteristics  of  this  remarkable 
man,  awakened  so  much  interest  in  those  who  were  famil- 
iar with  his  work,  that  it  has  been  thought  advisable  to 
issue  it  in  the  present  form.  The  nai-rative  of  his  labors 
since  the  war  on  the  field  of  the  Richmond  Agency  of  the 
American  Tract  Society,  is  continued  to  the  present  time  ; 
and  a  condensed  view  of  the  OTj^en^tious  of  the  Society  in 
its  efforts  to  evangelize  the  South  is  presented. 

July,  1867. 


UNCLE  jonx 


IN  THE  ARMY. 


If  one  sliould  visit  the  army  of  the  Poto- 
mac, and  stay  for  some  time  in  any  part  of  it, 
he  would  be  pretty  certain  to  meet  an  odd 
little  man  going  round  among  the  boys.  He 
generally  has  a  satchel  slung  over  his  shoul- 
der, or  a  package  under  his  arm,  or  both ; 
and  if  you  should  see  him  approaching  your 
home,  where  scenes  are  peaceful,  you  would 
prepare  for  an  interview  with  an  old-fashion- 
ed, energetic  dealer  in  some  kind  of  small- 
wares.  His  appearance,  though  not  remark- 
able, excites  interest ;  and  you  say  to  your- 
self, "I  wonder  what  that  man  iff  doing  in 
the  army."  He  is  about  five  feet  six  inches  in 
height,  and  of  a  square-built,  chunky  frame ; 
he  wears  a  soft  felt  hat  and  a  brown  coat,  both 
of  which  have  done  good  service ;  his  vest  and 


4  UNCLE    JOHN. 

pantSj  a  little  soiled,  suggest  that  he  works 
actively  sometimes ;  his  warm  shirt,  of  gray 
stocking-web,  has  been  selected  for  comfort 
rather  than  beauty  ;  the  paper  collar,  without 
an}"  necktie,  buttoned  carelessly  on  the  shirt, 
is  the  only  mark  about  him  of  any  deference 
to  fashion ;  and  the  plain,  unpolished  shoes, 
which  are  of  the  kind  that  soldiers  have,  put 
it  beyond  denial  that  the  little  man  is  given 
to  walking.  His  face  has  a  somewhat  ab- 
stracted expression,  yet  indicates  kind-heart- 
edness, vivacity,  humility,  and  shrewdness. 
He  seems  between  fifty  and  sixty  years  of 
ago;  time  and  care  have  made  furrows  on 
his  cheeks,  and  his  dark  brown  hair  is  grow- 
ing thin  and  sparse.  But  his  eye  is  bright 
and  restless ;  and  he  shoves  along  with  his 
bundle  under  his  arm,  as  though  he  had 
plenty  of  business  on  hand. 

Mark  him  as  he  enters  a  camp  and  is  rec- 
ognized by  the  soldiers.  "Hey,  Uncle  John, 
is  that  you?"  says  one,  who  starts  to  meet 
him.  "How  are  you,  Uncle  John?"  echoes 
another  from  within  his  tent.  "  I  am  glad  to 
see  you,  Uncle  John.     Have  you  any  soap 


turn 


IN    THE    AEMY.  5 

to-day  ?"  cries  a  third  ;  aud  a  fourth  nephew 
inquires,  "Uncle  John,  have  you  brought  the 
writing-paper  and  envelopes  you  promised?" 
The  wide-awake,  earnest  man  is  at  home  among 
them,  and  answers  in  a  cheery,  lively  way, 
"How  are  you,  dear  boys?  I  'm  glad  to  see 
you.  I  guess  I  've  got  a  little  something  for 
you — I  was  thinking  you'd  be  wanting  a 
little  paper  and  needles,  for  the  paymaster 
has  n't  been  round  for  a  good  Avhile,  has  he  ? 
Just  step  up,  boys ;  I  can't  carry  much,  you 
know,  but  I  '11  give  you  what  I  've  got."  He 
is  instantly  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  our 
blue-coated  heroes,  ready  for  his  little  gifts, 
and  yet  more  ready  for  what  Uncle  John  may 
have  to  say ;  for  they  know  well  that  he 
never  finds  himself  among  soldiers  without 
saying  something  that  is  worth  listening  to. 

Hark  to  the  merry  laughter,  as  Uncle  John 
makes  some  singular  observation !  See  the 
fixed  attention,  as  he  relates  some  stirring 
news,  or  interesting  incident !  Listen  to 
"That's  so,  Uncle  John;  that's  so,"  as  he 
renders  some  excellent  sentiment  or  advice, 
in  his  terse,  striking  way !     And  all  the  time 


UNCLE    JOHN. 


both  his  hands  are  busy  dispensing  sheets  of 
paper,  and  pens,  and  thread,  etc.,  with  skil- 


ful and  impartial  generosity.  After  these 
gifts,  tracts  and  religious  reading  are  produ- 
ced from  the  black  satchel,  and  distribu- 
ted to  many  glad  recipients.  Uncle  John 
meanwhile  continuing  his  remarks.  Now 
his  stock   is    exhausted ;    and  he   earnestly 


IN    THE    APtMY.  7 

repeats  an  invitation  wliicli  he  lias  already 
given  incidentally,  perhaps  half-a-dozen  times. 
"Now  boys,  don't  forget  the  prayer-meeting 
the  chaplain  is  going  to  have  this  evening. 
Come,  come,  dear  boys,  and  let  iis  ask  God 
to  bless  us."  "We  will.  Uncle  John,  we 
will,"  is  the  response  of  many  voices ;  and 
possibly  the  evening  hour  will  show  that  the 
invitation  has  been  also  accepted  by  many 
silent,  softened  hearts  that  did  not  dare  to 
speak.  The  next  moment  "Uncle  Johnnie's 
gone,"  but  the  influences  of  his  genial  soul 
are  scattered  all  around. 

The  full  name  of  this  ubiquitous  wide-awake 
man,  who  has  all  the  soldiers  in  the  army  of 
the  Potomac  for  his  nephews,  is  known  to  but 
few  of  those  who  are  familiar  with  his  coun- 
tenance and.  person  ;,but  it  is  a  name  which 
is  enrolled  for  everlasting  life  and  honor  in 
the  blessed  book  above.  He  labors  as  dis- 
tributing agent  for  the  Sanitar}^  Commission, 
and  as  army  coljDorteur  of  the  American 
Tract  Society,  by  whom  he  is  supported  ;  but 
he  is  so.  original  a  genius,  and  such  an  active, 
whole-souled,  liberal-hearted  philanthropist. 


8  UNCLE    JOHX. 

that  it  is  difficult  to  think  of  him  as  connect- 
ed with  any  particular  institution.  I  was 
struck  with  the  remark  of  a  colored  man,  as 
some  were  discussing  the  character  of  Uncle 
John  :  "I  '11  just  tell  you,  then,  what  I  thinks ; 
I  thinks  this — I  thinks  Uncle  John  is  a  real 
Christianity y  The  truth  could  scarcely  -be 
expressed  better.  While  entertaining  decided 
denominational  sentiments  and  attachments, 
Uncle  John  labors  everywhere  with  such  a 
largeness  of  spirit,  and  such  a  loftiness  of 
view,  that  one  can  regard  him  only  as  be- 
longing to  the  church  of  God  and  the  religion 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  first  half  of  his  life  was  passed  in  his 
cousin's  brewery,  and  was  thoroughly  given 
to  business  ;  but  about  fifteen  years  ago  God 
touched  the  brewer's  heart,  and  claimed  him 
for  a  higher  service.  A  severe  struggle  with 
old  views  and  habits  terminated  in  complete 
'triumph,  and  he  consecrated  to  the  cause  of 
Christ  those  energies  which  had  been  devo- 
ted to  secular  concerns.  Uncle  John  aban- 
doned his  position  in  the  brewery,  and  with 
it  flattering  prospects  of  wealth.    He  felt  that 


IN    THE    ARMY, 


it  could  bjo  his  calling  no  longer.  "  Heaven," 
I  have  heard  him  say,  "  seemed  too  far  away 
-when  I  looked  up  at  it  fi-om  among  the  beer 
barrels."  Disengaged  from  worldly  pursuits, 
he  gave  himself  with  zeal  to  tract  distribu- 
tion, exhortation,  prayer-meetings,  and  vari- 
ous evangelical  labors,  so  that  tlie  good  peo- 
ple of  P were  astonished  ;    many  even 

thought  him  crazed.  They  did  not  under- 
stand the  case.  A  mind  of  natural  strength 
and  fervency  had  received  a  strange  and 
powerful  impulse  from  new-born  faith  and 
love.  To  him,  religious  things,  no  longer  in- 
visible and  distant,  were  seen  and  present. 
His  awakened  soul  accepted  Bible  truths  as 
living  and  Avonderful  realities.  Christ's  cross 
and  judgment-seat  seemed  very  near,  radiant 
with  tender  attractions  and  with  awful  glories. 
The  curtain  concealing  futurity  had  fallen ; 
and  from  beholding  the  endless  destinies  of 
the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  he  turned  to 
his  fellow-men,  and  earnestly  besought  them 
to  seek  the  divine  favor  and  preparation  for 
heaven. 

This  practical  zeal  for  God  and  souls,  ari- 


10  UNCLE    JOHN. 

sing  partly  from  natural  character  and  yet 
more  from  yivid  realization  of  the  truths  of 
religion,  was  no  temporary  flame.  Burning 
to-day  with  its  original  brightness,  and  with 
more  than  its  original  fervor,  it  is  the  imme- 
diate source  of  the  ceaseless  Christian  activ- 
ity of  our  beloved  Uncle  John.     He  found 

but  a  limited  sphere  of  usefulness  in  P , 

and  possibly  had  cause  to  feel  that  it  was 
*'  his  own  country."  Going  westward,  he 
spent  some  years  traversing  the  prairies  of 
Illinois  with  horse  and  wagon,  as  colporteur 
of  the  American  Tract  Society.  God  went 
with  him  over  those  grassy  solitudes,  and 
blessed  his  labors,  and  filled  him  with  joy 
and  praise.  It  was  in  this  service  that  he 
gained  that  experimental  familiarity  with  the 
best  thoughts  of  Christian  authors,  and  that 
Avonderful  command  of  religious  language 
which  have  compensated  in  great  measure 
for  the  want  of  a  liberal  education,  and  which 
have  contributed  greatly  to  his  success  in  the 
work  of  the  Lord. 

Returning  to  P ,  he  began  visiting  the 

churches  as  Providence  opened  the  door,  and 


IN    THE    ARMY.  11 

became  instrumental  of  untold  good  in  seve- 
ral wide-spread  re\dvals.  He  went  from  place 
to  place,  "  feeling  liis  way"  and  working  with 

tlie  pastors.     P county  especially  thrice 

witnessed  a  great  outpouring  of  the  Divine 
Spirit,  chiefly  in  blessing  upon  his  efforts. 
Finding  an  interest  in  some  members  of  a 
decayed  backsUdden  church,  he  would  spend 
the  day  visiting  in  the  congregation  from 
house  to  house,  conversing  and  praying  with 
every  one,  and  in  the  evening  he  would  attend 
a  i^rayer-meeting  at  the  residence  of  some 
pious  family  ;  "for,"  says  he,  "  it  would  never 
do  to  commence  in  a  cold  church ;  but  after 
God  pours  down  his  Spirit  in  answer  to 
prayer,  then  the  lecture-room  will  be  needed, 
and  the  church  too."  In  those  times  his 
soul  overflowed  with  happiness,  when  sanc- 
tuaries were  nightly  crowded  with  inquirers, 
and  God  came  down  in  love  and  power,  and 
many  souls  were  saved. 

As  one  of  the  almoners  of  the  royal  bounty 
of  the  Sanitary  Commission,  Uncle  John  is 
indefatigable.  It  is  his  special  dehght  to  find 
unseen  and  neglected  spots,  and  to  secure  for 


12  UNCLE    JOHN. 

them  their  share  of  comforts.  Thousands  of 
poor  fellows  bless  him  for  timely  and  thought- 
ful care.  Indeed,  I  never  met  any  one  who 
combined  in  a  similar  degree  prompt  and  ex- 
act attention  to  items  of  business  with  unre- 
mitting spiritual  aims  and  efforts.  It  seems 
part  of  his  religion  to  neglect  nothing.  Those 
evangelical  labors,  however,  to  which  his 
other  j)ursuits  are  subsidiary,  are  the  chief 
exponents  of  his  character  and  power.  In 
these — I  can  exj^ress  myself  in  no  other  way — 
in  these  Uncle  John  is  great.  His  pleading, 
particularizing  prayers  ;  his  varied,  choice, 
and  ready  store  of  hymns ;  his  rapid,  yet  un- 
offending directness  of  personal  appeal  ;  his 
easy  and  quick  command  of  thought  and  lan- 
guage ;  his  homely,  pointed,  and  solemn 
method  in  public  address ;  and  his  very 
appearance,  and  voice,  and  manner,  unpre- 
tending and  deferential,  yet  as  earnest  and 
sympathetic  as  they  possibly  could  be — all 
qualify  him  to  succeed  anywhere,  but  espe- 
cially with  soldiers. 

I  have   been   amazed    sometimes   at   the 
beauty  of  his  prayers.    On  one  occasion,  dur- 


I'X    THE    AKMY.  13 

ing  the  heats  of  summer,  we  rode  together 
through  the  woods  to  a  distant  pasture,  that 
our  horses,  then  fed  only  on  gram,  might  en- 
jo}'  grazing  for  an  hour.  Uncle  John  had 
been  somewhat  depressed,  and  we  sat  under 
the  shade  of  a  little  tree.  Suddenly  he  ex- 
claimed, "  Brother  H ,  let  us  pray,"  threw 

himself  forward  upon  the  grass,  and  instantly 
began,  "  O  God,  on  this  'beautiful  day,  amid 
these  old  woods,  and  beneath  thine  own  clear 
heavens,  we  lift  up  our  souls  to  thee."  His 
voice,  at  first  slow  and  full,  was  rich  with 
melody  and  pathos ;  and  as  petition  after 
petition,  exquisitely  expressed,  followed  each 
other  in  beautiful  succession,  I  thought  the 
sacred  eloquence  of  that  unstudied  prayer 
such  as  I  had  never  heard  before.  While  the 
prostrate  body  rested  on  hands  and  knees, 
crouching  in  lowliest  humility,  and  the  face, 
with  close  shut  eyes  and  intensity  of  expres- 
sion, sometimes  almost  touched  the  ground, 
the  longing,  believing  spirit  seemed  to  rise, 
as  on  angels'  wings,  into  the  presence  and 
glory  of  its  God.  AVhile  we  were  returning, 
he  said  that  he  seemed  to  have  had  a  glimpse 


14  UNCLE    JOHN. 

of  heaven,  and  was  refreshed  and  comforted. 
I  could  easily  believe  it. 

Uncle  John  is  a  great  power  in  a  soldier's 
prayer-meeting,  for  he  generally  imparts  to 
his  fellow-worshippers  much  of  his  own  spirit. 
"With  excellent  wisdom,  he  invariably  looks 
to  the  chaplain  for  the  organization  and  con- 
trol of  religious  assemblies,  even  of  those  in 
which  he  himself  may  be  the  principal  actor; 
"for,"  he  says,  ^'I'm  nothing  but  an  old  shep- 
herd dog,  and  I  try  to  help  the  pastors  in 
tendino;  their  flocks."  But  after  the  meeting: 
has  been  set  a-going.  Uncle  John,  "assisted," 
as  he  would  say,  "by  the  good  Sj)irit  of  the 
Lord,"  is  the  very  life  of  it. 

The  first  time  I  ever  saw  him  was  last  win- 
ter, near  B ,  in  a  chaplain's  meeting  in 

the  log  church  of  the  brigade.  The  quaint 
sprightliness,  the  overflowing  brotherly  love, 
the  humility  and  Christian  readiness  of  the 
good  man,  were  apparent.  Ever  since  the 
completion  of  the  log  chapel  in  our  brigade, 
an  increasing  interest  in  religion  had  been 
manifested  among  the  boys,  and  Uncle  John 
promised  to  attend  one  of  our  meetings.    He 


IN    THE    ARMY.  15 

came,  and  moved  us  all  by  his  earnest  words 
and  fervent  prayers.  After  this  I  ^vas  going 
away  for  ten  days,  and  asked  him  to  look 
after  my  boys  in  my  absence.  He  consented 
at  once.  On  my  return  I  was  prepared  for 
something  of  a  revival,  but  not  to  learn  that 
the  chapel  was  crowded,  and  that  meetings 
were  kept  up  three  times  a  day.  •  And  when 
I  entered  the  chapel  that  afternoon,  what  a 
scene  presented  itself!  The  place  was  half 
Babel,  half  Bochim.  Such  a  murmuring  of 
confused  sounds  never  before  had  greeted 
my  ears.  Most  of  the  soldiers  were  kneeling 
by  the  benches,  several  were  engaged  in 
prayer,  and  sobbings  and  groanings,  loud 
responses,  and  fervent  ejaculatory  petitions, 
resounded  in  every  part  of  the  building. 
Uncle  John  was  in  the  midst  of  the  congrega- 
tion, kneeling  in  the  aisle  in  front  of  the  pulpit, 
and  seemingly  the  most  engaged  of  all. 

After  the  principal  prayer  was  over,  he 
rose,  and  in  his  sweet  tenor  voice  began  a 
favorite  hymn ;  all  joined ;  and  the  swelling 
praise  went  up  through  the  white  trembling 
canvas   roof.      Other  prayers   were    offered, 


16  UNCLE    JOHN. 

interspersed  with  verses  of  hymns  and  with 
remarks  by  Uncle  John  and  the  chaplain ; 
and  before  the  meeting  was  dismissed,  all 
present  were  earnestly  invited  to  attend  the 
evening  service.  It  seems  that  he  had  insti- 
tuted the  morning  assembly  for  inquirers  and 
young  converts,  and  that  in  the  afternoon  for 
the  prayers  and  exhortations  of  Christians 
generally,  while  more  formal  exercises  occu- 
pied the  meeting  at  night.  The  excitement 
and  confusion  at  first  seemed  to  me  excessive 
and  injurious  :  but  I  found  that  they  were  to 
a  certain  extent  the  natural  consequences  of 
religious  feeling  among  the  soldiers,  and  that 
they  were  rather  checked  than  stimulated  by 
Uncle  John ;  for  our  soldiers  sometimes  re- 
mind one  of  those  ancient  warriors — ''homi- 
nes Tustici  Clique  militares'' — whom  Cicero 
mentions  as  having  given  vent  to  their  enthu- 
siasm in  loud  shouting.  Besides,  the  other 
chaplains  did  not  find  the  noise  objection- 
able. The  evening  meeting  was  the  most 
important.  Generally  there  was  regular  ser- 
vice, including  a  sermon  by  one  of  the  chap- 
lains, after  which  those  who  loved  the  Lord 


IN    THE    ARMY.  17 

and  those  who  desired  to  do  so,  were  request- 
ed to  remain.  Commonly  very  few  went 
away;  and  then  Uncle  John's  work  began. 
After  some  prayers  and  hymns,  he  would 
make  a  short  address,  and  conclude  by  ask- 
ing those  who  felt  themselves  in  need  of  sal- 
vation, and  who  desired  Christians  to  pray 
for  them,  to  stand  up.  And  then  what  ear- 
nestness in  persuading  sinners  to  declare  for 
Christ.  He  would  continue  making  his  re- 
marks, and  looking  over  the  assembly,  per- 
haps for  a  minute,  till  some  one  rose,  "  There's 
one,"  says  Uncle  John  with,  visible  emotion. 
"Oh,  bless  the  Lord  !  There  is  joy  in  heaven 
over  one  sinner  that  repenteth."  Then,  after 
a  short  pause,  he  would  add  in  the  most  in- 
viting tones,  "And  is  there  no  other  precious 
soul  here  that  w^ants  a  Saviour?  Yes,  there  's 
another.  God  bless  you,  dear  brother.  Oh, 
it  was  for  such  that  Jesus  died — Jesus  the 
Son  of  God  !"  and  Uncle  John  would  sing  : 

"He  died  for  you, 

He  died  for  me, 
He  died  to  set  poor  sinners  free. 

Oh,  who  's  like  Jesus, 
That  died  on  the  tree  ?" 

rncleJihn  2 


18  UNCLE    JOHN. 

Another  pause.  '' AdcI  is  n't  there  any  more 
Avlio  want  to  love  this  blessed  Saviour  ?  Yes, 
I  see  you,  dear  brother.  I  knew  there  would 
be  more.  I  feel  that  God  is  here  to-night. 
And  there's  another,  and  another,  and  an- 
other. Oh,  hallelujah  !  Praise  the  Lord  !'* 
Another  pause.  "Now  come,  dear  friends; 
don't  be  afraid.  The  Lord  is  waiting;  and 
Oh,  he  is  waiting  to  be  gracious.  You  do  n't 
suppose  }'ou  're  too  great  sinners  to  be  saved, 
do  you  ?  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  cleans- 
eth  from  all  sin.  Yes,  precious  Saviour,  pre- 
cious Saviour,  thy  blood  could  cleanse  a  uni- 
verse from  guilt."  In  this  way  he  would  go 
on  till  perhaps  a  dozen  or  twenty  had  risen; 
after  which,  in  order  to  intensify  good  resolu- 
tions, he  would  invite  them  to  the  front  seats, 
Avhich  were  vacated  for  them.  This  he  did 
often,  not  always.  After  more  prayers  and 
hjmms,  the  audience  were  dismissed,  only  the 
inquirers  remaining;  and  then  Uncle  John 
and  the  chaplains  conversed  and  prayed  with 
each  individual  according  to  his  case. 

"  Talking  meetings,"  designed  chiefly  for 
remarks,  exhortations,  and  relations  of  per- 


IN   THE    AiniY  19 

sonal  experience,  sometimes  took  tlie  place 
of  these  that  I  have  described ;  they  proved 
very  useful.  Uncle  John  participated  in  them, 
as  he  did  in  all  the  rest.  The  revival  interest 
continued  with  little  abatement  for  five  or  six 
weeks,  and  resulted  in  the  establishment  of 
small  congregations  of  believers  in  those  regi- 
ments that  had  chaplains.  Nearly  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty — about  one-tenth  of  the  whole 
brigade — professed  faith  in  Christ,  either 
renewedly  or  for  the  first  time.  Yery  few  of 
these  dear  boys  are  with  us  now ;  many  are 
in  soldiers'  graves;  many  are  sick  or  wound- 
ed at  home;  some  are  in  southern  prisons; 
and  some  have  finished  their  term  and  been 
discharged.  But  so  far  as  I  know,  the  great 
majority  have  shown  that  their  profession 
was  well-founded. 

In  all  our  meetings,  Uncle  John's  singing 
did  excellent  service.  To  use  an  expression 
of  his  own,  he  is  "a  walking  hymn-book." 
He  has  a  large  variety  of  hymns  at  command, 
set  to  appropriate  tunes,  and  a  wonderful 
faculty  of  instantly  producing  in  a  meeting 
the  verses   and   notes  specially  suitable  to 


20  UNCLE    JOHN. 

each  particular  conjuncture.  How  often  have 
r  heard  him,  so  soon  as  a  prayer  or  address 
might  end,  strike  up  the  hymn  needed  to  cor- 
rect or  to  carry  out  the  impression  of  it.  He 
N^'ould  seldom  sing  the  whole  hymn;  but  if 
one  or  two  verses  satisfied  the  occasion,  he 
would  cease,  that  the  meeting  might  go  on. 
This  tact  often  helped  to  render  the  interest 
of  our  exercises  continuous  and  progres- 
sive. 

Uncle  John's  voice  is  not  strong,  but  it  is 
clear  and  pleasant;  and  as  he  sings  with  ear- 
nestness and  truthfulness  of  expression,  his 
lips  sometimes  seem  to  clothe  old  verses  with 
new  beauty,  and  to  impart  a  striking  and 
unexpected  fulness  of  meaning  to  words  that 
have  long  been  familiar.  Those  who  have 
heard  him  will  not  forget  with  what  joyous 
faith  he  sings, 

"Jesus  shall  reign  where'er  the  sun 
Does  his  successive  journeys  run  ;" 

nor  how  invitingly  and  solemnly  he  renders 

' '  There  is  a  fountain  filled  viith.  blood, 
Drawn  from  Immanuel's  veins  ;" 

nor  the  tenderness  of  those  lines, 


IN   THE    AllMY.  21 

"Come,  trembling  sinner,  in  whose  breast 
A  thousand  thoughts  revolve  ; 
Come  with  your  guilt  and  fear  opprest, 
And  make  this  last  resolve  ;" 

Dor  the  heartiness  of  the  verses, 

"Come,  ye  sinners,  poor  and  needy, 
Weak  and  wounded,  sick  and  sore  ; 
Jesus  ready  stands  to  save  you. 
Full  of  pity,  love,  and  power." 

How  boldly  he  raises  that  Christian  battle- 
song, 

' '  Am  I  a  soldier  of  the  cross  ?" 

What  thankfulness  and  love  he  puts  into  that 

grand  hymn, 

'•  Oh  for  a  thousand  tongues  to  sing 
My  dear  Eedeemer's  praise!" 

With  what  plaintive  melody  he  sings, 

"Did  Christ  o'er  sinners  weep? 
And  shall  my  tears  be  dry':" 

and  with  what  affectionate  longing, 

"Jerusalem,  my  happy  home." 

These  and  many  other  old  hymns,  and  the 
tunes  which  accompany  them,  are  weapons 
of  power  with  Uncle  John.  Besides  these, 
he  has  a  collection  of  modern  religious  melo- 
dies, generally  lively  in  character,  and  very 


22  UNCLE    JOHN.  ^ 

popular  with  soldiers.  Those  beginning, 
"My  heavenly  home  is  bright  and  fair;" 
"  There 's  a  light  in  the  window  for  thee, 
brother;"  "Must  Jesus  bear  the  cross  alone  ?" 
"  A  beautiful  land  by  faith  I  see  ;"  and  those 
which  tell  of  the  "  Sweet  hour  of  prayer," 
and  of  "The  gospel  ship,"  which  is  "sailing, 
sailing,"  and  of  "  The  heavenly  shores,"  to 
which  we  are  "homeward  bound,"  are  fair 
examples.  They  commonly  have  a  chorus, 
which  adds  to  their  effect. 

I  shall  not  soon  forget  the  delight  with 
which  I  first  heard  him  singing  a  song,  whose 
lively  notes  and  cheerful  rejoicing  confidence 
accorded  admirably  with  his  own  spirit.  It 
was  towards  the  close  of  a  crowded  meeting 
in  the  log-chapel.  He  rose  after  a  prayer, 
and  turned  round  in  the  aisle  so  as  to  face 
the  congregation.  His  right  hand  held  the 
left  by  two  fingers,  and  kept  it  out  of  the  way 
behind  his  back.  Standing  in  his  humble  but 
easy  manner,  he  began  in  a  clear  voice, 

"We  are  joj'onsly  voj'aging  over  the  main, 

Bound  for  the  evergreen  shore, 
•  "Whose  inhabitants  never  of  sickness  complain, 
And  never  see  death  any  more. " 


IN   THE    ARMY.  23 

Warming  as  lie  went  on,  lie  kept  looking 
over  the  audience  to  observe  their  feeling ; 
and  before  he  had  finished,  he  was  clapping 
his  hands  quietly  in  time  to  the  tune,  and 
leading  us  all  in  the  chorus,  like  an  enthusi- 
astic singing-teacher.  The  hymn,  though 
familiar  now,  was  then  new  to  most  of  us,  but 
we  could  not  help  joining  with  Uncle  John 
to  the  best  of  our  ability  in  the  chorus, 

"  Then  lot  the  Inirricaiie  roar, 
It  will  the  sooner  be  o'er ; 
TVe  will  weather  the  blast,  and  we  '11  land  at  last 
Safe  on  the  evergreen  shore." 

Few,  perhaps  none,  went  away  from  the  meet- 
ing that  night  without  resolving  to  secure 
transportation  in  that  good  ship,  for  which, 
according  to  his  wont.  Uncle  John  was  look- 
ing up  passengers. 

Some  striking  qualities  of  Brother  Y 's 

character  are  exhibited  in  his  dealings  with 
others  relative  to  their  religious  state  and 
duty.  His  earnestness  of  manner,  his  un- 
feigned and  affectionate  interest  in  one's  per- 
sonal welfare,  and  his  entire  freedom  from 
any   sort   of   conventionality   or   constraint, 


24  UNCLE    JOHN. 

soon  make  the  heart  trustful,  and  beget  open- 
ness of  conference  and  confession.  During 
a  time  of  religious  awakening,  he  labors  with 

inquirers  night  and  day.     At  B ,  all  who 

witnessed  his  zeal  marvelled  that  flesh  and 
blood  could  endure  such  incessant  excite- 
ment and  activity.  Three  meetings  a  day,  in 
all  of  which  he  prayed  and  spoke  and  sang, 
seemed  in  no  degree  to  diminish  his  energy 
for  special  and  private  exertions.  For  weeks 
he  spent  his  spare  time  in  going  from  tent  to 
tent  conversing  and  praying  with  every  one 
who  manifested  any  concern  regarding  reli- 
gion. As  he  set  out  one  morning  to  follow 
up  the  impressions  of  the  preceding  night,  I 
went  with  him  down  into  the  company  streets. 
Entering  a  tent  where  two  out  of  the  four 
occupants  were  Christians,  he  addressed  him- 
self to  each  man  in  suitable  inquiries  and 
exhortations,  and  led  in  a  short  prayer.  Then 
he  asked  for  a  sergeant  whom  he  knew  to  be 
under  deep  conviction.  The  young  man  came 
in  as  we  were  going  out  to  find  him.  Uncle 
John  instantly  read  the  trouble  of  his  face, 
which  expressed  the  most  profound  melan- 


IN   THE    ARMY. 


25 


cholj ;  and  laying  his  hand  affectionately  on 
the  shoulder  of  the  young  man,  exclaimed 
with  sadness  and  tenderness,  "  O  Albert, 
Albert,  my  dear  boy,  have  n't  you  given  your 
heart  to  the  Saviour  yet?  "What  is  the  mat- 
ter, Albert  ?  Why  do  n't  you  throw  every 
thing  else  away,  and  trust  only  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  ?"  The  young  man  answered  that  he 
was  trying  to  do  that,  but  could  not  find  any 


26  UNCLE    JOHN. 

peace.  Every  thing  seemed  dark,  somehow. 
Uncle  John  replied,  "  Then  you  must  pray 
to  God  to  make  it  li^jht.  He  can  cause  liirht 
to  shine  in  darkness.  And  now,  dear  boys, 
let  us  all  pray  for  Albert,  for  nobody  but 
God  can  help  him,  and  let  Albert  i^ray  for 
himself.  Chaplain,  lead  us  in  prayer."  We 
all  knelt  down  in  the  little  shanty,  which 
barely  held  us.  The  chaplain  prayed,  and 
then  Uncle  John  said,  "Now,  Albert,  you 
pray."  The  lad  offered  a  few  simple  and  ear- 
nest petitions.  We  left  him  with  some  words 
of  encouragement.  Several  days  afterwards 
I  met  him  going  to  one  of  the  meetings  with 
a  shining  and  happy  face.  "  Well,  Albert," 
said  I,  "how  do  you  feel  to-day?"  "Oh, 
bright  as  a  shilling,"  was  the  singular  but 
expressive  repl}-;  and  bright  ever  since  has 
been  his  Christian  character  and  course. 

Uncle  John,  without  being  exactly  abrupt, 
is  wonderfully  quick  and  direct  in  personal 
appeaL  His  preparatory  remarks,  if  he  makes 
£inj,  are  very  short ;  sometimes  merely  the 
manner  and  evident  spirit  of  the  man  intro- 
duce what  he  says;  but,  in  any  case,  the  first 


IX    THE    AEMY.  27 

startling  seuteuce  clears  the  way  for  any  that 
may  follow.      "Here,"   said  I,    as  we  went 

down  the  street,  "  is  Sergeant  M ,  Uncle 

John."  "How  are  you,  sergeant?"  says  the 
ever-ready  man,  taking  the  sergeant  by  the 
hand.  "And  I  hope,  chaplain,  this  good 
soldier  has  enlisted  under  the  banner  of  King 
Jesus?  Dear  sergeant,  how  is  it?  Now 
just  tell  Uncle  John.  Are  you  trying  to  be 
a  faithful  servant  of  God?  Have  you  given 
yourself  to  that  blessed  Saviour  who  died  for 
you,  and  who  bought  you  ^^ith  his  precious 
blood  ?"  As  these  words  were  uttered  with 
great  earnestness  and  affection,  the  sergeant 
looked  thoughtful.  He  confessed  that  he 
was  not  a  Christian,  but  said  that  he  often 
desired  to  be  one.  "  Oh,  why  then  delay  ? 
Why  risk  your  eternity  ?  Who  knows  how 
soon  the  whizzing  bullet  or  bursting  shell 
may  lay  one  low  ?  And  then,  to  enter  God's 
presence  unprepared  !  Oh,  sergeant,  will  you 
not  seek  the  Lord  now,  and  secure  that  glo- 
rious hope  which  is  full  of  immortality?" 
With  such  words,  spoken  by  the  way,  Uncle 
John  has  moved  many  to  seek  Christ. 


28  UNCLE    JOHN. 

The  treatment  given  to  Lis  approaches  and 
exhortations  by  different  parties  is  very  vari- 
ous; but  he  is  equal  to  any  emergency.  He 
instantly  appreciates  the  nature  of  each  case, 
and  gives  the  instruction,  encouragement, 
reproof,  or  reply  which  is  needed.  I  have 
been  astounded  sometimes  to  hear  officers, 
of  whose  profanity,  drunkenness,  gambling, 
and  dishonesty,  I  was  well  aware,  and  who 
never  to  my  knowledge  showed  even  decent 
respect  for  religion,  tell  Uncle  John  that  they 
were  Christian  men.  I  suppose  they  meant 
that  they  had  been  church-members  while  in 
civil  life.  They  seldom  deceived  him.  His 
interviews  with  such  miserable  men  are  gen- 
erally made  brief.  Without  even  insinuating 
distrust,  he  utters  a  few  awakening  words, 
and  is  gone.  "  Oh,"  I  have  heard  him  say, 
"how  solemn  a  thing  it  is  to  be  called  by 
the  name  of  Qheist.  What  a  responsibility 
lies  on  us  to  adorn  the  doctrine  of  God  our 
Saviour  in  all  things;  and  how  hard  it  is  to 
be  a  Christian  in  reality,  in  deed  as  well  as 
in  name.  Yes,  dear  fi'iends,  we  must  strive 
to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate.     I  often  think 


IN    THE    AEMY.  29 

what  a  mercy  it  will  be  if  Uncle  John  ever 
gets  to  heaven.  It  will  be  by  the  triumph  of 
grace  divine.  Oh,  the  riches  of  the  grace  of 
God !"  AVith  such  sayings  he  leaves  the 
backsliders  thinking  and  ill  at  ease.  Con- 
sistent believers,  on  the  contrary,  seldom 
meet  him  without  enjoying  some  bright  view 
of  heavenly  things,  by  which  their  hearts  are 
strengthened  in  faith  and  hope  and  love. 

The  skill  and  spirit  with  which  he  replies 
to  the  pretences  of  unbelief  and  to  the  ex- 
cuses of  the  unconverted,  could  not  be  sur- 
passed. While  maintaining  the  best  temper, 
and  exhibiting  overflowing  kindness  and  affec- 
tion for  souls,  he  attacks  every  form  of  sinful- 
ness and  error  with  unsparing  fidelity.  "  O 
dear  captain,"  I  heard  him  say,  "  how  I  wish 
you  would  make  up  your  mind  to  give  your- 
self to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  become 
a  faithful  soldier  of  the  cross."  "  Well,  Uncle 
John,"  said  the  captain,  "I  try  to  do  my 
duty,  and  I  think  that  is  all  that  is  required 
of  me."  "Why,  captain,"  answ^ered  the  hon- 
est man  in  tones  of  astonishment,  "  how  can 
you  say  so?     No  man  does  his  duty  who 


30  UNCLE   JOHN. 

does  not  give  liis  heart  to  God,  and  live  in 
God's  love  and  service.  What  would  you 
think  of  a  man  brought  up  by  a  kind  father, 
and  provided  by  him  with  every  means  of 
happiness,  who  should  be  a  good  brother 
and  husband  and  neighbor  and  citizen,  and 
yet  be  a  heartless  and  un dutiful  son  ?  Don't 
you  think  his  wickedness  would  be  unspeak- 
ably great?"  "But  the  cases  are  different," 
rejoins  the  captain.  "  No,  they  're  not,"  said 
Uncle  John.  "  That  man  would  be  con- 
demned by  the  moral  sense  of  the  commu- 
nity ;  and  the  godless  sinner,  you  may  depend 
upon  it,  will  be  condemned  by  the  public 
opinion  of  the  universe."  Thus  boldly  does 
this  humble  servant  of  God  contend  with  the 
adversary,  and  assert  the  prerogatives  of  his 
Master;  and  he  is  as  ready  to  do  this  with 
officers  in  high  command  as  he  is  with  pri- 
vate soldiers.  Colonels  and  generals  have 
received  faithful  admonition  from  him  on 
things  vital  to  their  eternal  peace. 

On  one  occasion,  I  cannot  say  whether  I 
was  more  amused  to  see  the  familiar  yet 
respectful  assurance,  or  gratified  to  witness 


IN   THE    ARMY.  31 

the  startling  directness  with  which  he  inter- 
rogated a  brave  colonel  whom  he  had  never 
seen  before.  A  meeting  had  been  concluded 
in  front  of  the  headquarters'  tent,  and  Uncle 
John  had  conversed  and  prayed  with  a  young 
man  who  had  shown  deep  conviction  and 
anxiety  regarding  his  sins.  Utterly  uncon- 
scious of  human  presence,  and  with  a  sim- 
plicity and  earnestness  which  rose  above  all 
influences  of  time  and  place,  and  surrounded 
themselves  with  their  own  proprieties  — 
silence,  solemnity,  and  attention — he  knelt 
with  the  lad  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd  of  by- 
standers, and  prayed  for  him,  for  his  com- 
rades, for  the  officers  of  the  regiment,  and 
for  the  whole  army.  The  vigorous  colloquial 
language  of  the  prayer,  and  its  particular- 
izing petitions,  in  which  names  and  places 
and  circumstances  were  freely  mentioned, 
interested  and  impressed  the  hearers  of  it. 
Conventionalities  plainly  had  little  to  do  with 
Uncle  John's  reUgion.  The  young  man  went 
away  comforted,  and  trusting  in  God;  and 
the  crowd  dispersed.  Then  we  entered  the 
colonel's  tent,  in  which  we  found  one  or  two 


32  UNCLE    JOHN. 

officers  of  the  command,  together  with  their 
chief.  After  a  few  words  of  conversation 
regarding  the  history  of  the  regiment  and 
its  part  in  the  summer's  campaign,  in  which 
it  had  lost  heavily,  Uncle  John  remarked  that 
it  was  a  blessed  thing  to  have  a  hope  that  no 
bullet  or  cannon-ball  can  touch,  and  a  life 
indestructible  and  immortal.  Then  turning 
to  the  colonel,  he  said  in  a  confidential  and 
coaxing  way,  "  And  now,  colonel,  just  tell 
Uncle  John  how^  it  is  wdth  you.  We  are  all 
perishing  creatures,  and  must  soon  be  iu 
eternity  together.  Have  you,  dear  colonel, 
a  good  hope  in  Christ  ?  Can  you  say  that 
you  hnoit'  that  your  Redeemer  livetli  ?  You  '11 
pardon  Uncle  John  for  asking  you ;  he  's  a 
poor  dying  old  man  that  loves  your  soul,  and 
wants  it  to  be  saved."  This  aj^peal,  made 
rapidly,  without  any  apparent  premeditation, 
and  with  great  tact  and  tenderness,  evidently 
affected  the  colonel.  Uncle  John  proceeded 
in  the  same  manner  as  before  :  "  You  know 
what  I  mean.  I  do  n't  mean.  Are  you  a  pro- 
fessor of  religion  ?  for  there  are  many  unwor- 
thy professors;  but,  has  your  heart  been  re- 


IX    THE    AKMY.  33 

newed  by  grace  divine  ?  That  is  the  point. 
Have  you  become  a  new  creature  in  Christ 
Jesus?  Have  you  experienced  that  change 
of  which  our  Saviour  speaks  when  he  dechxres 
that  a  man  must  be  born  again  before  he 
can  see  the  kingdom  of  God  ?"  The  colonel 
expressed  a  hope  that  he  was  a  Christian; 

and  Brother  Y replied  that  he  rejoiced 

to  hear  him  say  so;  that  he  prayed  the  Lord 
to  bless  him  and  make  him  faithful  to  the 
end;  and  that  he  wished  before  God  that  all 
our  leaders  were  earnest,  believing  men." 

I  have  not  spoken  hitherto  of  Uncle  John 
as  a  public  speaker,  because  the  peculiarities 
•of  his  character  are  better  illustrated  by  other 
topics,  and  perhaps  also  from  a  consciousness 
of  inability  to  describe  correctly  his  more 
sustained  efforts.  During  the  revival  of  last 
winter  he  frequently  moved  tlie  audiences  in 
the  log  chapel  with  short  but  thrilling  strains 
of  extemporaneous  eloquence.  Few  of  those 
who  listened  to  these  addresses  regarded 
them  in  a  rhetorical  aspect ;  criticism  is  not 
in  the  line  of  soldiers ;  but  all  felt  his  power, 
and   agreed    that   "he  knew  how   to  talk." 


34  UNCLE    JOHN. 

Those  of  us,  lioweTer,  who  were  accustomed 
to  notice  mental  metliocls,  could  not  but  won- 
der at  the  man's  gifts.  For  myself,  I  listened 
to  passages  in  liis  oratory  sucli  as,  I  think, 
are  seldom  heard  from  either  pulpit  or  ros- 
trum. His  style  at  times  reminded  one  of 
the  more  serious  and  moving  utterances  of 
Gough.  But  his  discourses  showed  more 
argument  than  is  commonly  attempted  in 
those  of  that  interesting  lecturer.  Thought 
after  thought  was  presented  and  illustrated 
with  admirable  though  untaught  adherence 
to  the  rules  of  art.  The  logical  order  of  the 
ideas,  their  progressive  continuity  of  impulse, 
their  practical  development  and  application, 
were  faultless.  Homely  condensed  language, 
natural  and  striking  metaphors,  unexpected 
similes,  antitheses,  and  turns  of  expression,  a 
becoming  gesticulation,  and  a  voice  wonder- 
fully persuasive  and  rich  with  sympathetic 
feeling,  engaged  attention,  awoke  the  heart's 
best  emotions,  and  excited  new  interest  in 
the  saving  truths  of  Christianity.  The  sin- 
cere and  humble  earnestness  of  the  man  was 
also  a  chief  element  of  his  power.      Xot  a 


IX    THE    ARMY.  35 

word  was  uttered  for  oratorical  effect.  Every 
senteuce  manifested  3'earning  love  for  souls, 
vivid  conceptions  of  eternal  things,  and  a 
solemn  sense  of  the  presence  of  God.  Suc- 
cess too,  though  confidently  looked  for,  was 
expected  solely  through  the  divine  blessing. 
What  wonder  was  it  that  such  speaking  pro- 
duced results  that  have  been  visible  ever 
since  ?  For  my  part,  I  doubt  not  that  it  was 
instrumental  of  everlasting  good. 

During  the  early  part  of  last  summer  he 
labored  in  the  arni}^  of  the  James,  among  the 
colored  regiments,  and  as  might  be  conjec- 
tured, was  very  successful  in  arousing  the 
lively  African  soldiers  to  the  duties  and 
attractions  of  religion.  Nowhere  were  his 
visits  more  welcome,  or  the  results  of  his 
efforts  to  lead  men  to  the  Saviour  more 
apparent,  than  among  the  colored  troops. 
They  prepared  a  place  in  the  pine  woods 
with  seats  and  a  stand  for  speakers,  where  he 
often  addressed  them.  From  one  thousand 
to  fifteen  hundred  souls  were  frequently  pres- 
ent at  these  meetings.  It  was  a  scene  wor- 
thy  of  a  painter's  skill,  when  the  little  man, 


UNCLE   JOHN. 


in  his  own  tender  and  telling  way,  addressed 
the  gathered  hundreds  of  his  sable  brethren ; 
and  when  he  led  those  assemblies  in  one  of 
his  stirring  hymns,  I  think  that  the  loud  notes 
of  praise  rivalled  in  sjDirit  and  grandeur  any 
that  ever  echoed  from  cathedral  roofs. 

After  a  time  he  was  induced  to  have  his 
headquarters  with  us,  and  to  make  our  divis- 
ion the  principal  field  of  his  labors.     In  this 


IN    THE    AKMY.  37 

way  I  had  the  i^rivilege,  several  times  during 
the  summer,  of  heariug  him  speak  in  pubHc. 
His  addresses  are  invariably  extemporane- 
ous.    He  says  that  deliberate  composition  is 
very  difficult  and  irksome  for  him;  which, 
indeed,  might  be  inferred  from  his  vivacious 
and  emotional  temperament,  and  his  want  of 
Hterary  training.      His   efforts   too,   though 
always   interesting  to  his  hearers,  are  not 
always  of  equal  power.     I  was  particularly 
pleased  with  an  address  which  he  made  one 
September  evening  in  the  plaza  of  Fort  Da- 
vis to  a  regiment  drawn  up  before  him  in 
line.    The  colonel  had  directed  a  notification 
of  the  companies  for  a  prayer-meeting  which 
we   proposed    to    have;    but    the    adjutant, 
thinking,  I  presume,  to  do  the  business  thor- 
oughly, ordered  out  the  whole  command,  as 
if  for  dress-parade.     Uncle  John  stood  with 
his  hands  behind  him,  leaning  against  a  tree 
in  front  of  the  headquarters,  while  company 
after  company  filed  past  him,  faced  to  the 
rear,  and  dressed  into  correct  position.    The 
men    evidently   were    wondering   what   was 
going  on;  and  some  of  the  officers  seemed  to 


38  UNCLE  jonx. 

think  that  a  joke  was  being  perpetrated  on 
the  chaphains  and  Uncle  John.  However,  we 
were  ready  for  the  emergency.  A  prayer- 
meeting  was  out  of  the  question;  so  we  re- 
solved on  some  public  exercises.  After  an 
introductory  address,  a  hymn,  and  a  prayer, 
Uncle  John  was  invited  to  speak.  He  began 
by  expressing  his  gratitude  to  the  colonel  for 
that  opportunity  of  addressing  the  officers 
and  men  of  "the  dear  old  Seventh."  He 
had  come  expecting  only  to  attend  a  jDrayer- 
meeting,  but  was  glad  to  meet  so  many  brave 
men.  As  he  looked  on  the  faces  before  him, 
and  saw  how  very  few  were  present  of  those 
whom  he  had  seen  last  winter,  the  thought 
arose,  "Where  were  those  brave  boys  that 

left  the  old   cafop  at   B ?"      They   are 

gone ;  they  lie  on  the  battle-fields  of  the 
Wilderness,  and  of  Spottsylvania,  and  of  the 
North  Anna,  and  of  Coal  Harbor— all  along 
the  way  from  the  Kapidan  to  Petersburg. 
Some  are  at  home  in  the  North,  or  in  hospi- 
tals; but  how  many  occupy  their  long,  last 
home — a  soldier's  grave!  Scarcely  one  is 
left  of  the  famihar  faces.     Ah,  well  did  he 


IN    THE    ARMY.  39 

remember  some  of  those  noble  boys  that  he 
used  to  see  in  the  old  log  chapel,  and  whom 
he  should  see  never  more  on  earth.  But, 
blessed  be  God,  he  had  a  bright  hope  of 
meeting  them  in  heaven.  They  were  heroes 
of  Christ,  and  of  his  cross.  Now  they  have 
fought  their  fight,  they  have  finished  their 
course,  and  they  have  received  their  crown. 
Oh,  how  he  wished  that  every  soldier  was  a 
ti-uly  Christian  man,  and  prepared  for  any 
chance  that  might  befall  him.  He  knew 
many  brave  men  who  were  not  Christians; 
but  it  was  always  a  mystery  to  him  how  any 
man  could  face  death  without  a  hope  in  that 
blessed  Saviour,  who  had  triumphed  over 
death  and  the  grave.  He  supposed  a  sense 
of  duty  would  do  much,  but  how  much  bet- 
ter was  it  to  be  sure  that  one's  soul  has  been 
saved  with  an  eternal  salvation.  Then  the 
king  of  terrors  is  dethroned,  and  death  be- 
comes the  gate  of  heaven.  Did  you  never 
think,  he  asked,  against  what  love  you  ofiend 
while  you  remain  unreconciled  to  God  ?  Oh, 
it  filled  all  heaven  with  wonder,  when  God's 
glorious  Son  took  on  him  our  salvation,  and 


40  UNCLE    JOHN. 

offered  himself  for  our  sins.  Never  was  love 
like  His  love.  How  can  3-011  refuse  jour 
hearts  to  that  loving,  dying  Saviour?  Surely 
you  will  not  suffer  it  to  be  that  Christ  should 
have  died  for  you  in  vain. 

"The  Sou  of  God  in  tears. 
Angels  with  wonder  see  ; 
Be  thou  astonished,  0  my  soul 
He  shed  those  tears  for  thee. 

"He  wept  that  we  might  weep  ; 
Each  sin  demands  a  tear. 
In  heaven  alone  no  sin  is  found, 
And  there 's  no  \^  eeping  there.' 

Dear  soldiers,  if  I  know  my  own  heart,  I  ear- 
nestly desire  the  welfare  of  you  all.  God 
knows  that  I  love  you,  and  want  to  see  you 
happy.  And  when  I  think  of  the  fatigues 
and  exposures  and  dangers  which  soldiers 
must  undergo,  Oh,  how"  I  wish  to  have  them 
sustained  and  comforted  by  the  hopes  and 
consolations  of  the  gospel.  I  would  that 
every  one  of  you  had  a  sure  title  to  a  man- 
sion in  the  skies.  I  would  that  you  could  all 
look  from  these  scenes  of  conflict  and  suffer- 
ing and  death  to  that  blessed  land  where 
there  is  war  no  more.    Oh,  yes ;  no  whistling 


IN    THE    ARMY.  41 

minie  ball,  no  bursting  Parrot  shell  shall  dis- 
turb the  peaceful  inhabitants  of  that  heav- 
enly country.  In  that  land  there  shall  be 
rest  for  the  weary ;  pain  and  grief  shall  not 
enter  there; 

"No  groaus  shall  mingle  with  the  songs 
That  warble  from  immortal  tongues." 

Now  let  me  say  a  few  words  to  those  of  you 
who  are  Christians.  Dear  brethren,  you  are 
surrounded  by  temptations ;  but  strive  to  live 
faithfully;  hold  fast  your  profession;  let  no 
man  rob  you  of  your  crown.  Trust  not  in 
yourselves,  but  in  One  that  is  mighty.  Keep 
looking  up  to  Jesus,  and  you  will  be  conquer- 
ors, and  more  than  conquerors,  through  him 
that  loves  you.  Recently,  by  the  bedside  of 
a  dear  corporal  that  formerly  belonged  to 
your  regiment,  but  that  now  sleeps  in  Jesus, 
I  felt  what  truth,  what  power  there  is  in  the 
religion  of  Christ.  All  was  peace  with  him, 
perfect  peace.  He  knew  that  he  was  dying; 
but  he  rejoiced  in  the  hope  of  a  better  life,  in 
the  sure  prospect  of  a  glorious  immortality. 
"Oh,  let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righteous, 
and  let  my  last  end  be  like  his."    And  as  for 


42  UNCLE    JOHN. 

you,  dear  friends,  who  are  without  Christ,  will 
you  not  seek  an  interest  in  his  salvation? 
Will  you  not  begin  to  love  and  serve  that  Re- 
deemer who  can  save  and  bless  you  for  ever? 
Yes,  Jesus  is  the  Saviour  that  you  need. 

'•  None  but  Jesus, 
None  but  Jesus 
Can  do  helpless  sinners  good." 

Oh,  then,  do  not  hesitate.  To-morrow  may 
be  too  late.  Who  knows  how  soon  the  bolt 
of  death  may  come  ?  Now,  while  it  is  called 
to-day,  give  your  hearts  to  God,  and  kneel 
before  him  in  penitence  and  prayer.  Dear 
soldiers,  I  thank  you  for  the  kind  attention 
with  which  you  have  listened  to  me.  May 
the  Lord  bless  you  all,  and  bring  you  to  his 
heavenly  kingdom. 

Such,  as  nearly  as  memory  serves  me,  was 
the  course  of  thought  and  style  of  language 
employed  by  Uncle  John.  But  the  forego- 
ing sketch  can  give  no  adequate  idea  of  the 
living  power  with  which  he  spoke.  His  allu- 
sions to  the  uncertainty  of  life  and  the  near- 
ness of  death  had  a  peculiar  significance  Avith 
those  whom  he  addressed.     Several  of  their 


IN    THE    ARMY. 


43 


Dumber  had  been  iustantaneously  killed,  not 
long  before,  on  the  picket  line  in  front  of  the 
fort;  and  a  day  or  two  subsequently  to  our 
meeting,  one  poor  lad  was  struck  by  a  minie 
ball  and  died  in  five  minutes,  a  few  paces 
from  the  spot  where  he  had  listened  to  Uncle 
John.  The  summer's  campaign  had  made  us 
all  too  much  accustomed  to  these  things. 

Uncle  John's  labors  during  the  summer 
with  the  sick  and  wounded  of  the  army  were 


44  UNCLE    JOHN. 

abundant.  He  went  with  the  trains  and  the 
steamboats  laden  with  the  disabled  of  the 
great  battles,  and  exerted  himself  incessantly 
for  the  welfare  of  both  body  and  soul.  He 
considered  no  service  too  laborious  or  too 
menial  to  perform  for  the  helpless  sufferers. 
Many  owe  their  lives  to  him,  and  by  him 
many  have  been  led  into  the  way  of  life  eter- 
nal. The  large  tents  which  constitute  the 
hospital  wards  receive  daih'  visits  from  him, 
and  any  special  want  of  their  inmates  enga- 
ges his  immediate  attention.  He  is  particu- 
larly ready  to  converse  and  pray  with  those 
who  are  dangerously  ill,  or  who  express  spir- 
itual anxiety.  Every  evening  also,  if  duty 
does  not  call  him  elsewhere,  he  assists  a 
chaplain  in  conducting  short  exercises.  The 
wards,  to  the  number  of  eight  or  nine,  are 
successively  visited,  and  in  each  of  them  two 
or  three  verses  are  sung  and  a  prayer  is  offer- 
ed. In  these  services  Uncle  John's  gift  of 
song  is  most  happily  emj^loyed.  His  choice 
variety  of  hymns,  his  tact  in  selecting  verses, 
and  his  admirable  use  of  tunes,  both  old  and 
new,  contribute  greatly  to  render  this  even- 


IN    THE    AKMY.  45 

ing  worship  interesting  and  profitable.  I 
Lave  noticed,  too,  that  occasionally  he  gives  a 
line  according  to  a  version  of  his  own,  no  way 
inferior  to  the  variations  of  the  hymn-books. 
Besides  these  employments  at  the  hospi- 
tals, a  great  part  of  his  time  is  taken  up  in 
visiting  the  camps,  where  he  distributes  re- 
ligious reading  and  sanitary  comforts,  and 
helps  the  chaplains  at  prayer-meetings  and 
public  services.  These  journeyings  call  into 
play  his  powers  as  a  pedestrian,  which  are 
most  extraordinary.  He  thinks  nothing  of  a 
stretch  of  eight  or  ten  miles;  and  one  hot 
day  of  last  summer  I  knew  him  to  walk  fifteen 
miles  and  back  again,  with  very  little  appear- 
ance of  fatigue.  Everywhere,  and  among  all 
classes,  he  finds  a  cordial  welcome.  Many 
chaplains  particularly,  and  among  them  the 
writer  of  this,  feel  themselves  under  profound 
obligations  to  him ;  for  we  are  generally 
agreed  that  it  would  be  difficult,  perhaps 
impossible,  to  find  another- man  in  the  coun- 
try so  well  qualified  as  he  for  religious  labor 
among  soldiers,  at  least  for  that  kind  of  labor 
which  Uncle  John  performs.     And  certainly 


46  UNCLE    JOHN. 

no  one  could  enter  upon  sucli  work  with  more 
self-devoting  zeal  than  that  which  animates 
this  singularly-gifted  man.  The  camp  and 
hospital,  the  march  and  the  bivouac,  the 
siege-line  and  the  battle-field,  have  witnessed 
his  untiring  energy  in  the  service  of  a  Divine 
Master.  Ten  thousand  thanks  to  the  Amer- 
ican Tract  Society  for  sustaining  such  a  man 
in  so  blessed  a  work. 

When  I  look  upon  Uncle  John  as  he  is 
now,  a  ready  and  mighty  laborer  in  the 
cause  of  man's  regeneration,  and  compare 
him  with  what  he  was  sixteen  years  ago,  the 
lively  and  driving  manager  of  work  in  a 
brewer}^,  I  exclaim,  "How  powerful  is  the 
grace  of  God;  what  changes  it  can  effect; 
how  marvellously  it  fashions  the  most  un- 
likely materials  into  blessed  instrumentali- 
ties of  good  !"  Under  its  influence,  abiUties 
and  habits  developed  in  a  life  of  eager  world- 
liness  are  employed  with  singular  efficiency 
in  the  pursuit  of  heavenly  objects;  the  want 
of  early  preparation  and  instruction  is  com- 
pensated by  the  improvement  of  a  devoted 
mind ;  and  a  holv  consecration  of  purpose  is 


IN    THE    ARMY.  47 

UDflinchiiigly  sustained  for  years,  and  crown- 
ed with  ever-increasing  success.  Such  an 
instance  is  rare;  so  that  none  should  pre- 
sume to  squander  precious  time  in  the  hope 
of  future  faithfulness;  but  what  encourage- 
ment it  contains  for  those,  of  whatever  age  or 
condition  of  Hfe,  who  feel  themselves  called 
to  some  special  department  of  the  service  of 
God.  How  surely  he  can  sustain  and  pros- 
per us,  while  in  some  fitting  sphere  we  labor 
earnestly  for  him ! 

I  now  bring  to  a  close  my  intellectual  com- 
panionship with  Uncle  John;  and  I  do  so 
with  regret.  It  has  pleasantly  occupied  some 
evenings,  which  otherwise  might  have  passed 
unimproved  in  the  bomb-proof  and  the  wall- 
tent.  Fare  ye  well,  dear,  good  man.  You 
have  sometimes  been  a  sad  reproof  to  me  for 
my  want  of  resolution  and  fidelity  in  the  dis- 
charge of  a  holy  calling — a  reproof  none  the 
less  potent  because  all  unconsciously  admin- 
istered :  but  for  that  I  bear  you  no  ill-will ;  I 
rather  render  thanks  to  Heaven  that  I  have 
seen  the  living  power  of  Christianity  brightly 
illustrated,  and  I  pray  God  for  a  baptism  of 


48  UNCLE    JOHN. 

his  Holy  Spirit,  that  I  may  more  successfully 
emulate  the  example  of  his  devoted  servants, 
in  closely  following  the  footsteps  of  our  divine 
Saviour.  Fare  je  well,  dear  Uncle  John. 
May  God  long  spare  you,  a  blessing  to  your 
kind,  and  at  last  take  you  gently  to  his  heav- 
enly  home.  And  when  separating  years  shall 
have  passed  away;  when  the  great  war,  now 
nearing  its  end,  shall  have  been  succeeded 
by  times  of  national  prosperity;  when  3*our 
friend  the  chaplain  shall  have  attained  his 
desire,  and  be  the  pastor  of  some  peaceful  vil- 
lage flock ;  when  your  moving  and  persuasive 
voice  shall  be  hushed  in  death;  when  your 
face  and  form,  now  welcome  and  familiar, 
shall  present  themselves  no  more  for  cordial 
greetings;  and  when  your  triumphant  spirit, 
freed  from  earth's  fetters,  shall  be  rejoicing 
on  high,  in  the  activities  of  an  immortal 
life — then  it  may  give  pleasure  to  review 
these  pages,  the  souvenir  of  the  acquaint- 
ance of  a  twelvemonth;  to  recall  lovingly 
the  most  cherished  memories  of  one's  army 
life,  and  to  think  of  a  sainted  Uncle  John. 


AMONG   THE    FREEDMEN.  49 


AMONG  THE  FREEDMEN. 

Such  is  the  record  of  this  faithful,  earnest 
seeker  of  souls,  as  given  by  Chaplain  E.  J. 
Hamilton,  ^vho  watched  his  course  as  an 
army  missionary  of  the  American  Tract  So- 
ciety in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  He  was 
actively  engaged  in  this  work  to  the  close  of 
the  war,  ministering  to  the  temporal  and 
spiritual  wants  of  his  beloved  soldier-boys 
through  the  terrible  battles  of  the  spring  of 
1865,  that  resulted  in  the  capture  of  Peters- 
burg and  the  evacuation  of  Bichmond. 

The  active  work  of  campaigning  being 
over,  his  heart  turned  with  ardent  longing  to 
relieve  the  spiritual  necessities  of  the  people 
that  had  been  so  long  desolated  by  the  pri- 
vations and  ravages  of  war.  Over  one-third 
of  the  land,  schools  and  colleges  had  been 
broken  up,  the  churches  were  closed  or  dis- 
mantled, the  congregations  dispersed  and  the 
pastors  gone,  and  the  religious  literature  that 
for  years  had  been  accumulating  in  the  fam- 

Uncle  John.  <4 


50  UNCLE    JOHN. 

ilies  and  churclies  and  Sabbatli-scliools  had 
been  scattered  or  destroyed  during  the  Avar. 
At  the  anniversary  of  the  Tract  Society  in 
May,  1865,  the  question,  How  shall  the  ruin 
thus  wrought  be  overcome,  the  schools  be 
regathered,  the  churches  reopened,  the  pas- 
tors recalled,  the  libraries  of  ministers  and 
people  be  supplied  with  a  Christian  litera- 
ture, and  all  the  agencies  for  evangelization 
be  again  set  fully  to  work  ?  pressed  with 
painful  weight  upon  the  committee  and  offi- 
cers. Realizing  that  the  Society  possessed 
peculiar  facilities  for  an  immediate  and  most 
beneficent  work  over  the  whole  South,  they 
proposed  the  following  resolution  for  the 
adoption  of  the  meeting : 

^^  Resolved,  That  the  desolated  South  reopens  to 
the  missionary  colportage  of  this  union  Society  a 
field  of  labor  vast  and  needy ;  and  in  Chi'ist's  name 
we  will  strive,  with  all  good  men,  to  make  it  a  garden 
of  the  Lord." 

The  sentrment  of  this  resolution  met  a 
hearty  and  prompt  response,  and  the  way  was 
opened  at  once. for  renewing  the  work  which 
in  former  years  had  been  so  useful,  and  which 


AMONG   THE    FREEDMEN.  51 

seemed  now  so  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  emer- 
gency. 

Immediately  after  the  anniversary,  Eev. 
George  L.  Shearer  was  commissioned  as 
District  Secretary  of  the  Southern  Atlantic 
states,  and  with  a  large  supply  of  books  and 
tracts  was  sent  to  Eichmond,  and  authorized 
to  prosecute  colporteur  operations  as  the 
way  should  be  opened.  When  the  plan  was 
proposed  to  Uncle  John  Yassar  to  engage  in 
the  work  witli  Mr.  Shearer,  he  replied  with 
characteristic  promptness,  "I  am  ready  to 
go;  my  heart  is  in  Kichmond;  I  long  for 
their  souls."  He  reached  that  city  on  Sat- 
urday, and  the  next  day  entered  on  the  Avork 
of  winnincr  souls  to  Christ  with  all  the  ear- 

o 

nestness  of  his  loving  heart. 

In  his  first  communication,  after  giving 
details  of  his  interesting  work,  he  says,  "  By 
the  help  of  God,  I  would  plead  for  the  poor 
white  and  colored  people  of  this  desolated 
part  of  our  country,  until  every  Christian 
and  friend  of  his  country  shall  feel  the  re- 
sponsibility God  has  rolled  upon  us  to  hel}) 
them  in  this  hour  of  need.     What  shall  bo 


52  UNCLE    JOHN. 

the  character  of  this  population  ?  How  may 
we  labor  to  stamp  the  image  of  Christ  on 
the  hearts  of  thousands  ?  These  are  weighty 
questions  with  me.  Oh  for  youthful  strength 
and  heavenly  grace  to  labor  for  my  dearest 
Lord." 

He  has  since  continued  his  labors  in  that 
Agency,  making  repeated  visits  to  various 
portions  of  Yirginia,  North  and  South  Caro- 
lina, ascertaining  the  necessities  of  the  peo- 
ple, supplying  them  with  books,  organizing 
day-schools  and  Sabbath -schools,  holding 
religious  meetings,  and  laboring  wdth  great 
zeal  in  many  revivals  of  religion.  While  his 
tender  sympathy  is  ever  quick  to  respond  to, 
and  as  far  as  possible  to  relieve,  the  physical 
suffering  so  general  and  widespread  over  his 
field,  his  absorbing  concern  is  for  the  educa- 
tion of  the  children  and  youth,  white  and 
black,  and  particularly  for  the  conversion  of 
the  souls  of  all.  And  in  these  efforts  his 
labors  have  been  richly  blessed. 

Soon  after  the  commencement  of  the  work 
in  Kichmond,  he  wrote:  "I  am  busy  every 
day  and  night  among  the  colored  people.     A 


AMONG   THE    FKEEDMEN.  ",3 

large  number  are  under  conviction,  and  need 
constant  instruction.  I  find  a  good  opportu- 
nity to  reach  the  children,  and  labor  for  their 
good  at  the  close  of  their  schools.  Quite  a 
number  of  our  scholars  in  our  Sunday-school 
have  found  Christ,  and  it  is  blessed  to  see 
their  happy  faces  on  Sunday  morning  as  they 
make  their  way  in  haste  to  school.  Hun- 
dreds know  me,  and  cry,  '  Uncle  John,  how 
do  you  do  ?'  I  am  getting  more  and  more 
interested  in  the  children.  I  have  thousands 
of  nephews  and  nieces,  and  feel  no  shame  as 
they  recognize  me  as  'Uncle  John.'  All  I 
want  is  to  meet  these  thousands  in  the  house 
of  many  mansions.  Jesus  will  have  many 
jewels  set  in  dark  caskets  to  stud  his  crown. 
"The  success  of  the  colored  schools  has 
awakened  the  interest  of  the  white  churches 
for  the  education  of  the  blacks.  I  am  doing 
what  I  can  to  put  the  Bible  and  our  good 
books  into  the  hands  of  the  colored  children 
that  have  learned  to  read.  Some  of  our 
meetings  are  largely  attended,  as  many  as  a 
thousand  having  been  present.  I  am  com- 
forted in  the  assurance  that  a  good  religious 


54  UNCLE    JOHN. 

interest  is  arising  in  all  tlie  cliurclies.  Let 
prayer  be  offered  continually  for  tliis  great 
object.  In  the  widespread  influences  of  the 
religion  of  Christ,  I  see  the  only  great  and 
permanent  jDrosperity  of  the  South. 

"  The  great  field  among  the  whites  is  found 
on  Oregon  Hill,  a  village  in  the  suburbs  of  the 
city.  A  little  be3'ond  the  village,  I  passed 
over  a  large  field  of  graves,  where  lay  so 
manv  of  the  men  of  both  armies.  I  thouG^ht 
of  the  many  hopes  buried  with  the  bodies  of 
the  poor  boys  sleeping  away  from  friends  and 
home.  My  heart  was  touched  with  the  re- 
membrance of  the  past;  but  another  feeling 
filled  my  bosom  as  I  saw  crowds  of  living 
forms,  small  and  great,  passing  before  me  as 
I  entered  the  city,  and  to-day  I  look  out 
upon  the  thousands  I  have  been  mingling 
with,  and  feel  impelled  to  lift  my  heart  to 
heaven  for  their  salvation.  Oh  that  the 
church  of  Christ  was  awake  to  the  interests 
of  these  unnumbered  souls  that  are  ready  to 
perish  in  the  midst  of  poverty. 

"  Such  a  field  as  we  find  in  Yirginia  is  sel- 
dom looked  upon  by  Christian  men.     There 


AMONG    THE    FREEDMEN.  55 

are  thousands  of  colored  people  who  need  to 
be  taught  to  read  and  to  be  led  to  look  to 
Jesus  for  salvation.  In  their  unsettled  state 
they  need  God-fearing  men  to  encourage  them 
religiously,  and  teach  them  in  temporal  mat- 
ters what  is  for  their  good.  The  Tract  Soci- 
ety has  already  done  a  work  in  its  colporteur 
labors  that  is  priceless.  While  the  Freed- 
men's  Bureau  is  doing  much  to  feed  this  class 
of  the  suffering  at  the  South,  the  Tract  Soci- 
ety is  meeting  a  want  that  has  not  been  met 
by  any  other  to  any  great  extent.  Thousands 
of  the  colored  people  thank  us  for  our  labors 
and  our  prayers,  aiid  the  poorer  class  of  whites 
receive  us  gladly  when  they  know  our  object 
in  coming  among  them.  Could  we  only  have 
the  books  and  men  to  reach  the  different 
counties  of  this  great  state,  God  only  knows 
the  good  that  might  be  done." 

While  laboring  in  Eichmond,  the  Spirit  of 
God  was  poured  out  upon  the  colored  peo- 
ple. He  engaged  in  the  work  with  all  the 
ardor  of  his  soul,  devoting  his  efforts  partic- 
ularly to  the  First  African  church,  the  great 
church  of  the  colored  people,  where  the  work 


5G  UNCLE    JOHN. 

continued  for  a  long  time  with  deep  interest. 
At  one  period  almost  the  entire  body  of  the 
church  was  given  up  to  those  inquiring  the 
way  to  Jesus.  He  met  the  members  of  the 
church  in  prayer  at  daybreak,  visited  and 
prayed  in  the  families  until  noon,  conversed 
with  the  children  in  the  schools  who  were 
awakened  from  12  to  1  oVlock,  met  the  in- 
quirers with  the  pastor  at  4  p.  M.,  and  in  his 
simple  yet  direct  and  effective  way  addressed 
the  body  of  the  people  at  7  o'clock.  Over 
three  hundred  were  added  to  the  church  as 
the  result  of  this  revival.  His  labors  here, 
and  in  his  frequent  A'isits  to  other  parts  of 
his  field,  were  very  arduous ;  but  his  heart 
was  greatly  cheered  by  the  anxiety  of  the 
people  to  learn,  and  by  the  constant  eviden- 
ces of  the  Holy  Spirit.  "Two  things,"  he 
says,  "keep  me  from  fainting  by  the  way: 
the  children  learn  so  fast,  and  many  are  com- 
ing to  Christ.  Sometimes  as  many  as  fifty 
have  united  with  the  colored  churches  on  a 
Sunday.  They  organize  churches  in  the 
woods,  and  build  log-houses  to  worship  God 
in,  and  teach  their  children  to  read.     Every 


AMONG   THE    FEEEDMEN.  57 

visit  to  the  country  convinces  mc  that  Ave 
have  the  grandest  mission  field  in  America." 
The  desire  manifested  by  the  colored  peo- 
ple, old  and  young,  for  education,  which  is 
justly  prized  by  them  as  the  highest  boon  of 
their  newly-acquired  freedom,  and  which  has 
known  no  abatement  till  the  present  time, 
affected  Uncle  John  from  the  very  first  with 
peculiar  interest.  He  has  not  regarded  it  as 
a  matter  of  transient  importance,  but  with 
far-seeing  wisdom  has.  discovered  in  this  new- 
born zeal  a  solution  of  the  problem  that  has 
awakened  so  much  solicitude :  What  shall 
be  the  future  of  that  large  class  so  suddenly 
introduced  into  the  duties  and  responsibili- 
ties of  freemen  ?  Deeply  impressed  that 
they  are  to  be  the  teachers  of  their  own  race, 
if  they  are  to  be  extensively  taught,  he  has 
been  earnestly  at  work,  under  the  direction 
of  the  District  Secretary,  in  organizing  and 
encouraging  schools  among  the  colored  peo- 
ple, sending  repeated  appeals  to  the  North, 
that  the  friends  of  the  African  should  do  all 
in  their  power  to  supjDly  them  now  with  the 
means  of  education. 


58  rXCLE    JOHN. 

While  none  have  been  more  cleliglited  at 
the  repeated  and  remarkable  instances  of 
progress  in  the  acquirement  of  knowledge, 
his  rejoicing  has  not  been  so  much  at  the  evi- 
dence of  personal  improvement,  as  at  the 
prospect  that  these  scholars  were  thus  pre- 
paring to  become  teachers,  and  would  thus 
aid  in  the  diffusion  of  knowled^^e  so  essential 
to  the  elevation  of  their  race. 

"  This  is  the  way,"  he  says,  "that  much  of ' 
this  great  field  must  be  reached.  If  we  have 
to  depend  on  teachers  from  the  North,  and 
money  to  support  them  in  every  part  of  the 
South,  we  should  never  see  half  of  the  field 
occupied.  "\Ye  get  every  colored  man  and 
woman  to  work  that  can  read  or  spell.  They 
must  be  encouraged  to  help  one  another. 
Millions  of  money  could  not  do  this  work  if 
we  have  to  depend  on  Northern  teachers 
alone.  Several  schools  have  been  started  to 
fit  young  persons  to  go  to  the  country  as  soon 
as  possible,  and  teach  their  race.  We  shall 
have  thousands  of  young  colored  people  to 
take  these  little  schools  in  rural  districts ; 
and  who  can  tell  the  results  of  this  wonder- 


AMONG   THE   FREEDMEN.  50 

ful  work  ?    A  door  of  usefulness  like  this  has 
never  been  opened  to  the  church  in  our  land." 

He  has  also  been  gratified  in  noticing  the 
awakening  desire  on  the  part  of  many  young 
men,  after  becoming  interested  in  their  stud- 
ies, to  make  preparation  for  the  gospel  minis-* 
try.  This  desire  he  has  always  encouraged, 
believing  that  their  people,  as  they  realize 
the  advantages  of  education,  will  demand  a 
higher  order  of  preaching  than  that  with 
which  they  have  been  supplied. 

Thus  is  this  earnest  man  indefatigably  en- 
gaged in  the  work  so  dear  to  his  heart,  of 
spreading  the  gospel  in  the  South,  through 
the  instrumentalities  placed  in  his  hand  by 
his  "  good  old  mother,"  as  he  always  affec- 
tionately styles  the  American  Tract  Society, 
in  whose  service  he  has  labored  for  seven- 
teen years.  His  work  has  been  most  fruitful 
in  removing  prejudice,  in  melting  down  hos- 
tility by  the  ardor  of  his  Christian  love,  in 
disseminating  widely  the  privileges  of  educa- 
tion, and  in  building  up  the  kingdom  of 
Christ,  gathering  into  it  from  the  waste  places 
long  desolated  by  war  many  souls,  the  tro- 


GO  UN'CLE    JOHN. 

pliies  of  bis  faithful,  personal,  ceaseless  activ- 
ity, AvLo,  liad  it  not  been  for  his  missionary 
colportage,  might  have  remained  in  sin,  un- 
sought, unwarned,  unsaved. 

We  have  thus  brought  down  to  the  present 
time  the  record  of  this  useful  man,  who,  as 
Army  Missionary  and  as  Missionary  Colpor- 
teur, has  written  his  name  and  stamped  the 
impress  of  his  soul-loving  spirit  imperishably 
upon  many  hearts. 

Following  his  example  and  imbibing  his 
spirit,  more  than  forty  others -have  joined 
him  in  this  colporteur  work  of  the  American 
Tract  Society,  to  elevate  and  save  the  neg- 
lected and  the  lost  in  that  wide  portion  of 
our  land.  No  field  ever  more  needed  this 
personal,  hand-to-hand  and  heart-to-heart 
method  of  supplying  the  people  with  the 
blessings  of  education  and  religion,  and  on 
no  field  have  the  results  been  more  signal 
and  evident,  testifying  to  the  wonderful  adap- 
tation of  colportage  to  this  emergency. 

The  situation  of  the  South  at  the  close  of 
the  war  was  truly  deplorable.  Four  years 
of  strife  had  caused  great  impoverishment. 


AMONG   THE    FKEEDMEN.  61 

Desolation  marked  the  path  or  the  sojourn 
of  the  armies ;  plantations  were  devastated, 
churches  burned,  congregations  scattered, 
and  Sabbath-schools  broken  up.  Children 
were  growing  up  in  ignorance,  the  prey  of 
idleness  and  vice.  The  sudden  emancipa- 
tion of  a  third  of  the  people  placed  them  in 
pressing  need  of  sympathy  and  Christian 
instruction.  The  general  impoverishment  of 
the  peoj^le  rendered  the  support  of  the  min- 
istry entirely  inadequate,  and  left  large  dis- 
tricts without  stated  preaching.  Christians 
on  the  field  who  longed  to  see  their  children 
taught  God's  word,  were  unable  to  purchase 
the  requisite  elementary  books. 

Such  was  the  character  of  the  field  pre- 
sented to  the  American  Tract  Society,  which, 
in  the  Lord's  name,  entered  upon  its  work  of 
evangelization.  The  dearth  of  religious  lit- 
erature that  prevailed,  and  the  religious  des- 
titutions that  everywhere  abounded,  called 
for  just  such  labors. 

Something  has  been  done  to  relieve  the 
great  need;  but  in  the  districts  remote  from 
the  lines  of  travel,  ince:isant  and  highly  sue- 


62  UNCLE    JOHN. 

cessful  labor  for  two  years  has  scarcely  begun 
the  great  work  to  be  accomplished.  A  short 
thne  since  a  colporteur  in  Xorth  Carolina  yis- 
ited  in  a  single  week  forty-three  families,  of 
whom  twenty  were  desiitute  of  the  Bible  and 
all  religious  books.  Another  in  the  same 
state  reports  a  thickly-settled  district,  where 
one  may  travel  seventy  miles  without  finding 
a  Sabbath-school.  A  clergj-man  in  Virginia 
tells  of  two  whole  counties,  whose  population 
in  1860  exceeded  six  thousand,  in  which  there 
has  never  been  a  Sabbath-school. 

The  colporteurs  in  their  work  visit  every 
family  in  the  community,  and  converse  with 
nearly  every  individual  on  personal  religion. 
Sometimes  they  succeed  in  organizing  a 
prayer-meeting,  and  sometimes  can  induce 
the  people  to  make  provision  for  the  regular 
preaching  of  the  gospel.  But  the  usual  and 
most  successful  means  of  relieving  the  great 
destitution  is  the  organization  of  Sabbath- 
schools.  The  children  are  gathered,  and 
such  as  are  ready  to  engage  in  teaching 
them,  whether  among  the  white  or  colored 
people,  are  furnished  with  books,  cards,  etc. ; 


AMONG    THE    FREEDMEN.  63 

SO  that  all  desiring  to  learn  to  read  the  Bible 
are  freely  offered  the  necessary  elementary 
education. 

A  colporteur  in  North  Carolina,  who  estab- 
lished schools  in  several  prominent  places, 
says :  "  The  first  Sabbath  I  organized  a  flour- 
ishing school  of  twenty-four  scholars  and  six 
teachers;  and  what  is  remarkable,  not  one  is 
a  member  of  any  church.  On  my  arrival 
there,  I  stated  the  object  of  my  visit  to  some, 
who  at  once  opposed  it,  saying  it  was  too 
cold,  and  no  comfortable  house  could  be  ob- 
tained. I  soon  found  many  were  disposed  to 
discourage  it,  which  only  assured  me  that 
God  had  sent  me  there  to  do  good. 

"So  I  commenced  by  asking  some  little 
boys  if  they  did  not  wish  to  have  a  school, 
like  other  places.  They  were  delighted,  and 
said  they  would  get  me  a  house  by  morning. 
Sure  enough,  on  Sabbath  morning  by  sun- 
rise, thirteen  children  called  on  me  with 
smiling  faces,  and  informed  me  that  they 
had  a  house  and  a  good  fire.  I  soon  found 
my  way  there,  and  a  crowded  house.  Sev- 
eral young  ladies  accompanied  me,  who  said 


64  '  UNCLE    JOHN. 

the  boys  begged  so  hard  they  could  not  re- 
fuse, saying,  'Miss   E ,  please,  madam, 

come  help  us  start  our  school;  I  know  you 
can.' 

"  On  arriving  at  the  house,  I  read  a  chap- 
ter, prayed  with  them,  and  lectured  the  best 
I  could.  I  then  registered  the  names  of 
twenty-four,  praying  in  my  heart  for  God  to 
also  record  their  names  in  his  book  of  life ; 
and  such  were  my  feelings,  that  I  found  my- 
self in  tears  in  spite  of  me.  Six  offered  them- 
selves as  teachers,  and  I  gave  them  all,  as  the 
first  lesson,  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  Ten  Com- 
mandments. 

"  I  called  on  the  teachers  a  few  days  ago, 
when  they  informed  me  the  school  was  in- 
creasing, and  a  doctor  was  aiding  it,  saying, 
'We  are  collecting  money,  and  want  as  large 
a  hbrary  as  any  school  has  in  the  state.'  The 
merchants  said  to  me,  '  We  wish  now  to  build 
a  church  and  an  academy,  and  we  will  want 
you  to  get  a  teacher  for  us  after  a  while.' 

"XI  Q ^  I  met  with  a  joyful  school 

when  I'  delivered  the  libraries  there.  The 
superintendent  said,  '  Children,  save  all  your 


AMONG   THE    FKEEDMEN.  65 

change,  and  we  will  get  the  colporteur  to  fill 
our  bookcase.'  I  patiently  visited  all  tlie 
houses  in  the  place,  and  must  say  that  they 
did  all  they  could,  and  parted  Avith  the  last 
cent.  It  was  court  week,  and  taxes  to  pay, 
but  nearly  every  one  begged  me  to  call  again. 
I  saw  ten  wagons  from  the  mountains  with 
tobacco  and  butter.  Many  of  the  teamsters 
I  knew,  and  they  were  glad  to  see  me,  and 
purchased  some  books. 

"  I  went  next  to  W ,  where  I  delivered 

the  libraries  and  books  to  the  teachers,  the 
preacher  being  absent.  It  is  a  flourishing 
town,  noted  for  its  Hberality.  This  place  was 
not  molested  by  either  army.  The  people 
are  happy  here,  are  kind  to  the  freedmen, 
and  give  them  good  wages  and  homes,  and 
in  return  are  blessed  with  faithful  laborers." 

The  cooperation  of  Christians  in  this  work 
has  been  encouraging.  The  whole  number 
of  teachers  in  secular  and  Sabbath-schools 
thus  provided  with  the  implements  of  labor, 
furnished  by  the  Richmond  Agency,  is  about 
four  thousand.  The  whole  number  of  schools 
organized,   resuscitated,   or   aided   in   these 

Uncle  John.  5 


66  UNCLE    JOHN. 

two  yeai'S  exceeds  one  thousand  and  fifty, 
with  about  seventy-five  tliousand  scholars,  at 
an  expense  of  about  a  third  of  a  dollar  to 
each  scholar.  Most  of  these  are  entirely 
dependent  on  this  mode  of  instruction.  A 
friend  in  North  Carolina,  acknowledging  "  a 
donation  of  books  admirably  adapted  to  our 
purpose,"  says:  "There  are  probably  more 
than  three  thousand  children  and  young 
persons  in  this  county  to  whom  a  door  of 
access  is  now  open,  and  who  will  look  to  and 
must  rely  upon  colportage,  not  only  for  reU- 
gious  but  elementary  instruction."  Similar 
testimonies  might  be  added  from  all  parts  of 
the  field. 

Peculiar  as  is  the  adaptation  of  colportage 
to  supplying  the  wants  of  the  families  and 
neighborhoods  and  schools  of  the  white  pop- 
ulation, THE  FEEEDMEX  are  even  more  de- 
pendent upon  it.  Just  entering  on  their  new 
life  of  freedom,  they  have  displayed  an  almost 
insatiable  desire  to  learn  to  read,  and  a  re- 
freshing readiness  to  receive  the  truth  of  the 
gospel  with  a  simple,  child-like  faith.  Through 
the  various  benevolent  agencies  of  the  North, 


AMONG   THE    FllEEDMEN.  67 

and  the  self-sacrificing  labors  of  many  noble 
teacliers,  common  schools  have  been  estab- 
lished in  most  of  the  cities  and  larger  villages. 
The  Freedmen's  Bureau  reports  that  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  scholars  have  been 
tau-ht  in  these  schools,  at  a  yearly  expendi- 
tur^  exceeding  $1,200,000,  in  addition  to  ap- 
propriations made  through  that  Bureau.  It 
is  evident  that  a  very  small  portion  of  the  four 
millions  of  freedmen  are  thus  brought  under 
instruction  ;  nor  can  the  benevolence  of  the 
churches  support  a  free  school  system  for  the 
far  larger  part  of  this  population  who  reside 
in  the  rural  districts. 

How  then  are  they  to  be  furnished  with  the 
means  of  education?  If  this  is  to  be  done, 
the  scholars  already  taught  must  engage  in 
the  work.  Many  of  them  are  now  employed 
by  the  colored  people  on  the  plantations, 
who  are  so  anxious  for  instruction,  that  from 
their  scanty  resources  they  contribute  cheer- 
fullv  for  their  support.  The.  colporteurs  of 
the"^  Society  have  aided  extensively  in  the 
organization  of  these  schools  in  the  country, 
which  through  want  of  suitable  buildings  are 


68 


UNCLE   JOHN. 


often  held  under  the  shade  of  forest  trees  or 
of  brush-arbors,  making  grants  to  them  of 
the  Society's  elementary  books.  Where  it 
has  been  impracticable  to  organize  schools, 
for  want  of  buildings  and  teachers,  the  col- 
porteurs have  enlisted  members  of  planters' 
families  in  the  work  of  teaching  those  in  their 


AMONG   THE    FREEDMEN.  G9 

employ,  and  their  yoluntary  aid  lias  been  a 
feature  of  marked  and  increasing  interest. 
The  progress  in  this  direction  has  been  mar- 
yellous.  Indiflerence  has  passed  away,  and 
now  the  principal  obstacle  to  Sabbath-school 
instruction  among  the  colored  people  is  the 
■want  of  bool's.  The  Society  has  already  dis- 
tributed two  hundred  and  thirty-four  thou- 
sand of  its  "United  States  Primers;"  but 
what  are  they  among  so  many? 

The  spirit  of  these  yoluntary  teachers  is 
best  understood  from  a  few  facts  connected 
with  their  efforts.  A  colporteur  in  Virginia 
T^Tites  :  "  I  feel  that  my  labors  haye  not  been 
altogether  in  yain,  having  organized  a  large 

Sabbath-school  for  the  freedmen  at  W . 

I  found  one  gentleman  willing  to  engage  in 
the  work  of  teaching  them,  who  assured  me 
that  he  could  get  the  cooperation  of  some 
others.  As  he  made  an  appointment  for  me, 
I  preached  on  the  second  Sabbath  to  a  good 
congregation,  principally  of  freedmen.  They 
were  all  interested  in  the  subject,  and  an- 
other gentleman  promised  to  assist  in  teach- 
ing them.     Not  haying  suitable  books  with 


70  UNCLE    JOHN. 

me,  I  appointed  the  fourth  Sabbath  to  organ- 
ize the  school.  I  was  met  by  a  large  con- 
gregation of  freedmen,  with  some  whites. 
Another  gentleman  assured  me  that  his  heart 
was  in  the  work,  and  that  the  female  mem- 
bers of  his  family  would  also  assist.  He  at 
once  entered  into  the  organization ;  and  hav- 
ing formerly  ov/ned  a  large  number  of  the 
freedmen  present,  knew  them  and  rendered 
valuable  assistance.  I  was  also  told  that  his 
father  would  materially  aid  the  enterprise  in 
every  way  he  could.  These  gentlemen,  who 
took  such  ready  hold  of  the  work,  were  for- 
merly large  slaveholders. 

"  It  was  deepl}'  interesting  and  touching  to 
see  the  anxiet}^  to  learn  that  was  manifested 
by  the  negroes.  Gray -headed  old  men  were 
there,  and  gave  their  names  as  scholars 
wanting  to  learn  to  read.  There  were  those 
from  near  eighty  years  of  age  down  to  ten, 
or  perhaps  younger,  evincing  the  greatest 
satisfaction  and  pleasure  at  the  prospect. 
One  man  said  to  me  that  he  did  not  expect 
to  learn  much  himself,  but  he  wanted  his 
children  to  be  taught.    I  am  deeply  interest- 


AMONG   THE   FREEDMEN.  71 

ed  in  this  work,  and  believe  that  Christians 
have  a  large  and  inviting  field  of  usefulness 
open  before  them  in  this  direction.  I  rejoice 
that  so  many  of  the  most  influential  of  our 
citizens  are  lending  their  influence  to  the 
work  of  educating  the  blacks." 

A  young  lady  of  fine  literary  attainments, 
bearing  a  name  eminent  in  the  annals  of 
Virginia,  endeavored  to  establish  a  school 
among  the  freedmen  in  the  neighborhood  of 
her  mother's  plantation.  After  writing  to 
the  various  sources  for  books  without  suc- 
cess, and  vainly  endeavoring  to  persuade  the 
neighbors  to  allow  her  to  use  one  of  their 
barns  for  a  schoolroom,  she  finally  estab- 
lished her  school  on  the  side  of  the  road 
under  a  few  old  oaks,  near  an  old  black- 
smith's shop,  the  scholars  being  seated  on 
some  rough  planks.  The  teachers  who  aided 
her  were  five  schoolboys  and  two  little  girls 
of  seven  and  nine.  She  then  wrote  to  the 
Society's  agency  at  Richmond  for  books, 
which  were  promptly  forwarded  to  her  from 
funds  given  by  a  Sabbath-school  in  New 
England.    In  acknowledging  their  reception, 


72 


UMCLE    JOHN. 


she  says,  "Until  last  Sabbath,  Avlien  jour 
First  Lessons  and  Primers  were  distributed 
to  a  happy  crowd,  we  averaged  two  books, 
generally  different  in  kind,  to  a  class.  I  have 
rhe  A-B-C  department,  and  have  had  but  one 
book  to  sometimes  over  thirty  scholars;  so 


we  made  a  blackboard  of  the  sandy  road  be- 
fore us,  in  which  we  traced  the  letters,  and 
twenty  of  my  class  have  learned  their  letters, 


AMONG   THE   FREEDMEN.  73 

large  and  small,  in  the  sand,  and  on   man- 
uscript cards  wliicli  they  had  taken  home." 

In  a  letter  from  this  lady  asking  for  more 
books,  she  says  :  "All  my  books  are  exhaust- 
ed now,  and  a  number  of  new  scholars  are 
unsupplied,  although  I  have  used  all  the 
Tract  Primers  which  were  to  have  been  re- 
served for  prizes  for  the  highest  attainments. 
I  wish  the  children  who  sent  the  books  could 
see  the  crowd  pressing  up  and  begging  for 
them,  as  if  they  were  begging  for  bread: 
'Give  me  one.'  'Give  me  a  book.'  'Oh, 
please  give  me  one.'  '  You  promise  me  one 
las'  time,'  etc.  Yesterday  I  noticed  among 
the  new-comers  a  very  bright  boy,  about 
eii>ht  vears  old,  who  watched  the  distribu- 
tion  of  the  books  with  intense  interest.  Just 
as  the  last  were  given  out  of  the  basket,  1 
asked  him  if  he  had  a  book.  The  little  fel- 
low burst  into  a  bitter  cry,  and  hiding  his 
face  in  his  sister's  apron,  sobbed  out,  'You 
never  give  me  none.'  Fortunately  I  found  a 
picture-alphabet  book,  which  soon  dried  the 
tears  on  little  Joe's  cheeks,  and  sent  him 
home  happier  than  ever  before  in  his  life." 


74  UNCLE    JOHN. 

She  continued  her  school  by  the  wayside 
until  near  Christmas,  when  it  became  so  cold 
that  she  was  unable  longer  to  teach  in  that 
place.  Mr.  H.  E.  Simmons,  one  of  the  Soci- 
ety's agents  in  New  England,  having  become 
acquainted  with  the  history  of  this  interest- 
ing school,  was  able,  through  the  benevolence 
of  a  gentleman  in  Boston,  to  furnish  her  the 
means  of  building  a  log  schoolhouse,  which 
he  presented  to  her  in  }  erson  at  her  home  in 
Yirginia. 

A  Yirginia  pastor,  after  successfully  con- 
ducting Sabbath-schools  for  the  freedmen 
within  his  parish  during  the  summer,  was 
unwilling  that  instruction  should  cease  when 
the  schools  closed  for  the  winter.  By  sys- 
tematic and  persevering  effort  he  organized 
a  school  in  nearly  every  family,  taught  by 
the  white  members  of  his  churches;  and  thus 
the  work  so  prospered,  that  the  short  winter 
was  found  even  more  favorable  in  its  results 
than  the  long  summer. 

From  every  portion  of  the  field  assurances 
come  that  the  best  Sabbath-school  teachers 
in  the  churches  are  either  already  engaged 


AMONG    THE    FKEEDMEX.  75 

in  tliis  work,  or  can  be  secured.  Nothing  is 
wantiiiiT:  greatly  to  increase  the  number  of 
those  ready  to  devote  themselves  to  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Lord  in  this  direction  icithout  ]p(nj, 
but  the  means  to  furnish  them  with  the 
books  required,  which  they  in  their  poverty 
are  unable  to  buy.  Will  not  the  friends  of 
the  Tract  Society  who  can  appreciate  the 
importance  and  the  wide  extent  of  the  work 
that  can  thus  be  done  for  Christ,  cheerfully 
furnish  the  Society  with  means,  so  that  all 
willin":  to   encraoje  in  this  benevolent  work 

o  o    o 

may  be  supplied  with  the  facilities  for  carry- 
ing it  successfully  forward? 

We  might  give  many  illustrations  of  the 
good  realized  from  the  donations  of  individ- 
uals or  Sabbath-schools,  as  they  have  been 
furnished  to  needy  schools,  or  to  those  vol- 
untary laborers,  to  aid  them  in  their  good 
work.  The  following  incident,  related  by 
by  Uncle  John,  shows  the  far-reaching  influ- 
ence of  a  small  donation  of  fifteen  dollars 
intrusted  to  his  care. 

In  midsummer  of  1865,  travelling  south- 
ward from  Richmond,  he  left   the   train  at 


76  UNCLE    JOHN. 

C station,  bearing  upon  his  slioulder  a 

heavy  package  of  books.  He  was  not  long 
in  learning  that  a  large  number  of  freedmen, 
employed  in  the  coal  mines  near  at  hand, 
were  without  a  school,  and  that  no  one  was 
caring  for  their  spiritual  wants.  Continuing 
his  visitation  and  inquiries,  he  met,  three 
miles  distant,  a  planter  ready  to  devote  his 
Sabbaths  to  the  religious  education  of  the 
negroes.  He  also  found  a  convenient  build- 
ing, circulated  an  appointment,  and  on  the 
next  Lord's  day  met  over  one  hundred  schol- 
ars. Immediate  use  was  made  of  the  con- 
tents of  the  package,  from  which  Uncle  John 
presented  spellers,  primers,  and  a  card  large 
enough  to  be  seen  by  all  in  the  house.  He 
gave  them  their  first  lesson  in  concert.  It 
was  laying  the  foundation  of  a  mighty  work. 
A  few  months  later,  the  colored  people,  not 
content  with  Sabbath- school  instruction, 
hired  a  godly  brother  of  their  own  race  to 
teach  their  children  during  the  week.  The 
Spirit  wrought  through  him;  many  souls 
were  converted,  a  church  was  organized,  and 
the  teacher  has  become  an  ordained  minister." 


AMONG   THE    FREEDMEN.  77 

At  a  subsequent  visit  Uncle  John  was 
much  encouraged  by  the  progress  of  the 
school,  and  wrote  :  "  Many  of  the  colored 
people  of  that  vicinity  evince  much  talent ; 
most  of  the  children  can  read,  some  write, 
and  one  class  is  doing  well  in  arithmetic. 
Several  girls  will  soon  be  able  to  go  out  and 
teach ;  so  we  hope  to  furnish  help  for  other 
l^laces  next  year.  The  best  of  all  is,  that 
many  are  seeking  the  Lord.  One  hundred 
souls  have  recently  professed  to  give  their 
hearts  to  Jesus.  I  feel  thankful  that  I  was 
ever  permitted  to  visit  that  place.  I  wish 
the  friends  that  gave  the  fifteen  dollars'  worth 
of  books  that  started  that  school,  could  see 
the  progress  made  by  the  children.  They 
surely  would  praise  God,  as  we  did  yester- 
day in  visiting  the  place." 

What  a  blessing  upon  so  small  a  gift  to 
the  Lord.  Were  ever  fifteen  dollars  invest- 
ed which  brought  greater  gain?  Over  one 
hundred  children  educated;  several  teachers 
fitted  for  blessing  others ;  J^ut  above  all,  one 
hundred  precious  souls  saved  from  death  to 
enjoy  God  for  ever;  and  a  church  already 


78  UNCLE   JOHN. 

organized  for  the  edification  of  these  behev- 
ers,  and  the  salvation  of  other  deathless 
spirits. 

An  English  mother,  who  has  been  thirty 
years  in  Canada,  sent  seven  dollars  for  the 
freedmen,  through  the  Bochester  Agency  of 
the  American  Tract  Society,  desiring  to  hear 
of  the  manner  of  its  appropriation.  It  was 
given  to  a  colporteur  in  North  Carolina, 
who  sent  the  following  account  of  its  dispo- 
sition : 

"  I  have  iiot  given  it  to  a  colored  Sabbath- 
school,  from  the  fact  that  our  Sabbath- 
schools  among  the  freedmen  cannot  be  car- 
^ried  on  in  tlie  winter  for  the  want  of  suitable 
irouses.  In  the  warm  season,  their  schools 
were  conducted  in  the  open  air,  in  a  grove, 
and  some  under  a  brush-arbor.  The  same 
is  also  the  case  with  some  white  Sabbath- 
schools.  I  have  made  use  of  the  lady's  char- 
it}^  however,  in  a  different,  and  I  hope  more 
profitable  manner.  I  have  visited  the  poor 
negroes  in  th^r  own  cabins  and  around  their 
firesides.  I  have  sat  and  taught  them,  par- 
ents and  children,  to  spell  and  read,  and  have 


AMONG   THE    FREEDMEN.  79 

freely  given  them  Primers  and  Testaments ; 
and  when  they  would  commence  giving  me 
many  thanks,  I  have  told  them  that  they 
were  not  indebted  to  me,  but,  under  God,  to 
a  lady  in  Canada  who  wished  them  well. 
Their  astonishment  was  great.  AVith  tears 
of  gratitude  in  their  eyes  they  have  said, 
*  God  bless  the  lady,  and  God  bless  the  Tract 
Society,  and  God  bless  you.' 

"  On  one  occasion,  when  I  gave  Primers 
and  First  Lessons  to  som©  children,  and  told 
them  w^ho  was  their  benefactress,  the  mother 
expressed  an  anxious  desire  to  see  the  lad}^, 
that  she  might  thank  her  for  her  kindness. 
I  told  her  that  it  was  not  probable  she  could 
ever  see  her  in  this  life,  but  if  she  would  be  a 
faithful  Christian  here,  she  would  no  doubt 
be  permitted  to  meet  the  good  lady  in  heav- 
en, where  there  would  be  no  distinction  of 
color,  but  all  would  be  alike  transformed  into 
the  glorious  image  of  our  blessed  Saviour. 
At  this  idea  a  shout  of  rapturous  joy  burst 
from  the  lips  of  the  old  colored  woman.  The 
colporteur  caught  the  spirit  of  universal  love. 
We  all  knelt  in  prayer,  and  drank  copiously 


80  UNCLE    JOHN. 

of  the  fountain  that  flows  from  the  tlirone  of 
God." 

A  lad  of  twelve  years,  a  member  of  a  Sab- 
bath-school in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  made  a  dona- 
tion of  twenty  dollars,  his  missionary  money, 
to  be  used  at  the  South  through  the  Eich- 
mond  Agency  of  the  Tract  Society.  It  was 
used  for  the  organization  and  aid  of  four 
Sahhath-schools  in  the  vicinity  of  Ealeigh, 
N.  C,  and  was  expended  for  books.  Before 
twelve  months  had  elajDsed,  many  of  the 
scholars  in  these  schools  had  learned  to  read, 
and  from  twelve  to  fifteen  souls  had  obtained 
a  saving  knowledge  of  Christ,  and  were  labor- 
ing for  the  instruction  and  salvation  of  others. 
Surely  in  the  last  day  these  redeemed  souls 
will  rise  up  to  call  that  child  "blessed"  who 
was  thus  the  means  of  giving' them  a  knowl- 
edge of  Christ  and  his  love.  Will  not  many 
others  make  use  of  the  same  instrumentality 
for  doing  good,  thus  extending  the  privileges 
they  enjoy  to  many  of  the  ignorant  and  neg- 
lected, and  blessing  many  homes  with  Kght, 
knowledge,  and  salvation  during  their  lives, 
and   meeting  at  last  the   welcome  plaudit, 


AMONG   THE    FREEDMEN.  81 

"  Inasmueli  as  ye  have  done  it  to  one  of  the 
least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  doue  it 
unto  me?" 

The  crowning  feature  of  the  whole  is  the 
manifest  token  of  God's  presence  and  ap- 
proval in  the  conversion  of  souls.  The  first 
book  uniformly  desired  by  those  who  have 
newly  learned  to  read  is  the  New  Testament. 
Revivals  have  been  in  progress  in  many  of  the 
schools  that  have  been  founded,  and  in  sev- 
eral places  churches  have  arisen  in  less  than 
a  vear  after  the  organization  of  the  school. 
No  record  has  been  kept  of  the  number  of 
those  who  have  been  led  to  Christ  by  the 
colporteurs,  or  in  the  schools  they  have 
formed  or  aided.  Their  record  is  on  high  ; 
and  in  the  last  great  day,  when  the  books  are 
opened,  it  shall  be  said  of  many,  "This  man 
was  born  there." 

Such  is  a. brief  sketch  of  the  w*ork  which 
the  benevolence  of  Northern  Christians  has 
enabled  the  American  Tract  Society  to  ac- 
complish in  the  South.  The  work  has  barely 
commenced.     But   two   years  have  elapsed 


82  UNCLE    JOHN. 

since  the  first  colporteur  began  his  Christian 
visitations,  and  abeacly  with  gratitude  we  are 
compelled  to  say,  "  What  has  God  wrought !" 
What  may  we  not  hope  for,  if,  through  the 
continued  benevolence  and  enlarged  liberal- 
ity of  those  who  bid  Godspeed  to  the  work, 
the  agencies  for  extending  it  are  greatly  in- 
creased, and  the  stores  of  educational  and 
religious  literature  j)repared  by  the  Society 
are  wddely  diffused  where  they  are  so  urgent- 
ly needed  ? 

The  work  commends  itself  to  the  heart  of 
every  patriot,  philanthropist,  and  Christian. 
The  evils  to  be  removed  are  immense  and 
appalling ;  the  system  here  presented  is  sim- 
ple and  effective.  When  it  was  explained  in 
a  public  meeting  in  Washington,  and  the 
results  it  had  already  accomplished  were 
reported,  Hon.  Frederick  T.  Frelinghuysen, 
United  States  Senator  from  New  Jersey,  in 
an  eloquent  address  claimed  that  these  ear- 
nest laborers  in  the  Tract  Society  had  caught, 
as  by  inspiration,  the  one  great  need  of  the 
nation.  Their  evangelizing  efforts  must  be 
effective   in    allaying   strife   and  promoting 


AMONG   THE    FREEDMEN.  83 

peace  and  good-will  between  the  different 
sections  of  the  hind.  He  woukl  have  colpor- 
teurs sent  into  every  county.  He  would  have 
every  Sabbath-school  in  the  North  sustain 
from  one  to  six  Sabbath-schools  in  the  South, 
and  would  have  these  laborers  and  their 
cause  liberally  supported. 

Hon.  Henry  Wilson,  United  States  Sena- 
tor from  Massachusetts,  followed  him,  warm- 
ly commending  the  design  and  purposes  of 
the  Tract  Society,  and  the  excellent  adapta- 
tion of  its  means  to  the  end  to  be  accom- 
plished. He  greatly  valued  these  truly  Chris- 
tian influences  for  settling  our  national  diffi- 
culties. Turning  to  members  of  Congress 
many  of  whom  were  present,  he  said  with 
emphasis,  "  These  men  and  this  agency  are 
doing  more  for  reconstruction  than  all  of  us'' 
He  endorsed  the  wish  of  Senator  Frehnghuy- 
sen,  that  the  Sabbath-schools  North  would, 
through  the  Society,  send  down  their  means 
by  thousands  for  founding  Sabbath-schools 
all  over  the  South. 

We  trust  that  the  generous  sympathies  of 
the  members  of  Northern  churches  and  Sab- 


84  UNCLE    JOHN. 

batli-scliools  may  respond  to  this  desire  of 
these  eminent  statesmen,  elicited  by  the  con- 
vincing evidence  presented  to  them,  that  God 
has  called  the  American  Tract  Society  to 
occupy  the  vast  and  needy  field  at  the  South. 
"With  a  system  of  lay  effort  which  can  reach 
every  family;  with  the  cooperation  of  resi- 
dent Christians  of  every  class  in  the  work  of 
Sabbath-school  instruction ;  with  a  literature 
full  of  Christ,  and  suited  to  the  wants  of  the 
people,  and  a  depository  in  the  needy  dis- 
trict; and  with  the  blessing  of  God's  Spirit 
leading  hundreds  and  thousands  by  this 
means  to  salvation,  Ave  have  every  encour- 
agement to  carry  out  the  spirit  of  the  resolu- 
tion adopted  at  the  anniversary  at  the  close 
of  the  war,  "  in  Christ's  name  to  strive,  with 
all  good  men,  to  make  the  desolated  South  a 
garden  of  the  Lord." 


DESCRIPTION 

OF 

THE  TRACT  HOUSE 


The  following  ai:)preciative  notice  of  the  Society's  house 
and  work,  appeared  August  '21st,  in  the  Xeic  York  Evening 
Gazette,  edited  by  Chakles  H.  Sweetser.  It  contains  in- 
formation of  interest  to  the  friends  of  the  Society. 

Of  the  multitudinous  societies  established  by  Chris- 
tian charity,  and  for  civilizing  and  Christianizing 
purposes,  we  believe  the  two  that  rank  the  highest 


S6  UNCLE    JOHN. 

for  the  thorough  system  with  which  their  affairs  are 
managed,  are  the  American  Bible  Society  and  Amer- 
ican Tract  Society,  With  both  these  organizations 
our  readers  are  in  a  good  measiu-e  famihar,  so  far  as 
their  general  field  and  results  are  concerned.  Very 
few,  however,  understand  how  great  is  the  machin- 
ery, and  how  extensiye  are  the  practical  details  at- 
tendant upon  the  working  of  these  two  great  institu- 
tions. At  some  future  time  we  i:)ropose  to  give  an 
extended  description  of  the  Bible  Society,  and  its 
practical  working.  Our  present  sketch  will  have  to 
do  with  the  Tract  Society  only,  to  chronicle  the  vari- 
ous facts,  concerning  which  we  have  taken  note-book 
in  hand,  and  passed  through  the  entire  establishment. 

A  GLANCE  BACKWAED. 
This  national  institution  was  organized  forty-two 
years  ago,  the  other  tract  societies  then  existing  be- 
coming auxiliary  to  it,  and  is  the  same  to-day  in  its 
plan  and  purpose  that  it  was  at  the  start.  At  the 
time  of  its  founding,  the  receipts  of  all  the  tract  soci- 
eties in  the  country  did  not  exceed  820,000  per  an- 
num. Last  year  the  receipts  of  the  American  Tract 
Society  were  over  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  ! 
The  offices  of  the  Society  have  always  been  in  this 
city,  and  where  the  Society's  building  now  stands. 

THE  BUILDING. 
The  building  owned  and  occupied  by  the  Society, 
is  located  at  150  Nassau-street,  just  opposite  the  Tunes 
building.     It  was  erected  in  1825,  the  year  the  Soci- 
ety was  formed,  by  funds  contributed  in  New  York ; 


DESCEirTION  OF  TEACT  HOUSE.      87 

and  rebuilt  ami  enlarged  in  184G  by  a  loan  secured 
by  mortgage  on  the  premises,  to  be  paid  from  pro- 
ceeds of  rents  of  parts  of  the  building  not  occupied 
by  the  Society.  It  is  eighty  feet  by  ninet3--fonr,  and 
five  stories  high,  besides  basement  for  storing  paper, 
and  sub-cellar  for  coal.  The  first  floor  is  occupied  by 
the  Society's  general  depository,  sales-room,  treasur- 
er's office,  and  stores ;  the  second  furnishes  rooms 
for  the  American  Messenger  and  Child's  Paper,  and 
other  offices  ;  the  third  contains  the  Committee-room, 
executive  offices,  and  composing-room ;  the  fourth 
is  the  bindery,  and  the  fifth  the  press-room.  The 
printing  and  hydraulic  presses,  and  other  machinery, 
are  propelled,  and  the  entire  building  is  also  heated 
by  steam.  The  central  court  is  excavated,  and  forms 
a  boiler-room. 

THE  MEN  WHO  DO  THE  TVORK. 

The  working  force  in  the  House  consists  of  a  Sec- 
retary and  Assistant  in  each  dej^artment. 

Of  the  Publishing  Department,  Rev.  Wm.  A.  Hal- 
lock  is  Secretary.  He  is  the  founder  of  the  Society, 
has  watched  over  all  its  interests  with  incessant  care, 
and  has  been  its  most  prominent  officer,  holding  the 
most  responsible  position  in  it,  as  editor  of  all  its 
issues.  He  is  a  man  of  singleness  of  purpose,  strength 
of  ^-ill,  and  an  unswerving  adherence  to  what  he  con- 
siders right.  Few  men  have  performed  as  many 
years  of  unceasing  labor  as  he,  and  with  such  wide- 
spread and  beneficent  results. 

Rev.  W.  W.  Rand,  his  Assistant,  is  the  scholar,  the 
practical  editor  of  the  Foreign  as  well  as  the  English 


88  UNCLE    JOHN. 

publications ;  and  the  musical  critic,  composer,  and 
compiler  of  the  Society's  hymn-books.  The  Bible 
Dictionary  and  Hapjiy  Voices  were  prepared  by  him. 

In  the  Financial  Department,  Rev.  O.  Eastman  is 
Secretaiy,  and  O.  E.  Kingsbury,  Assistant  Secretary 
and  Acting  Treasurer.  They  have  been  connected 
with  the  Society  from  the  second  or  third  t^ar  of  its 
existence.  They  are  laborious,  j)ainstaking,  rigidly 
economical,  and  of  sound  judgment.  To  them,  un- 
der the  supervision  of  the  Financial  Committee,  the 
public  are  chiefly  indebted  for  the  wise  and  uniformly 
safe  management  of  the  pecuniary  interests  of  the 
institution. 

In  tlie  Colportage  and  General  Bistrihidion  Depart- 
ment, Eev.  John  M.  Stevenson  is  Secretary,  and  S. 
E.  Warner,  Assistant.  They  arc  occui^ied  in  securing 
and  supervising  colporteurs,  examining,  and,  with 
the  Distributing  Committee,  deciding  upon  unnum- 
bered requests  for  grants,  j)reparing  articles  for  the 
periodicals,  and  attending  to  the  details  of  a  multifa- 
rious and  world-wide  correspondence. 

W.  B.  Bodge  and  J.  W.  Bro\\-n  have  charge  of  the 
printing  department,  and  Mr.  Foot  of  the  binding. 
Their  skill  and  taste  are  seen  in  the  style  of  the  pub- 
lications of  the  Society. 

S.  W.  Stebbins  is  General  Depositary,  and  forwards 
the  pubhcations  to  all  the  agencies. 

WHAT  IS  DONE. 

Four  thousand  bound  volumes,  pamphlets,  tracts, 
and  papers  are  turned  out  by  the  Society  every  work- 
ing-day of  the  year.     In  July  last  the  total  number 


DESCRIPTION  OF  TRACT  HOUSE.      89 

of  volumes  received  at  the  depository  from  the  vari- 
ous departments,  exehisive  of  tracts,  etc.,  was  niiicty- 
iiiue  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty -two.  Of  the 
little  Sabbath-school  hymn-book  known  as  Happy 
Voices,  240,000  copies  have  been  published.  Of  the 
Bible  Dictionary,  124,000  copies.  Of  the  Christian 
Almanac,  120,000  copies  are  printed  annually.  Of 
the  Amei^ican  Messenger,  there  are  printed  163,000 
copies  monthly  ;  of  the  German  Messenger,  32,000 
copies;  and  of  the  ChilcVs  Paper,  353,000  copies. 
The  Society  has  published,  during  its  existence, 
22,000,000  volumes  !  This  will  give  some  idea  of  the 
vast  amount  of  work  done  at  the  printing-house  of 
the  Society. 

THE  COMPOSING  EOOM. 

In  the  composing  room  there  are  nine  composi- 
tors, of  whom  one  is  employed  entirely  on  German, 
and  one  on  Spanish,  French,  and  other  foreign  lan- 
guages. There  is  one  proof-reader,  one  female  to 
read  copy,  and  one  man  employed  in  repairing  stere- 
otype plates.  All  works  are  either  stereotyped  or 
electrotji^ed,  except  the  German  Messenger  and  An- 
nual Report. 

In  the  composing  room  some  fifteen  languages  are 
set,  and  the  music  for  the  xiublications  of  the  Society 
is  also  set  here.  Mr.  Bodge  has  had  charge  of  this 
department  for  twenty-one  years,  and  conducts  it 
with  great  care  and  success. 


90  UNCLE    JOHN. 

THE  ENGRAVING  DEPARTMENT. 

Here  are  produced  all  the  illustrations  used  in  the 
publications  of  the  Society.  Seven  engravers  are 
kept  constantly  employed,  and  many  others  a  portion 
of  their  time,  in  prej^aring  new  pictures  on  wood  or 
steel  for  the  numerous  books,  tracts,  etc.,  issuing 
from  the  presses  of  the  Society,  prominent  among 
which  is  that  favorite  of  Sunday-school  children — 
and  older  heads  too — The  ChikVs  Paper. 

The  designs  are  made  by  the  best  artists  in  the 
country,  and  paid  for  liberally.  The  Society  has  on 
hand  a  large  accumulation  of  beautiful  engravings, 
amounting  to  several  thousand,  which  they  are  con- 
tinually using  in  the  reproduction  of  their  books, 
papers,  etc. 

It  may  be  said  here  that  the  Society  many  years 
ago  resolved  to  illustrate  their  cheap  books  in  as 
handsome  a  manner  as  they  could  by  first-class  de- 
signing, engraving,  and  printing.  That  they  succeed- 
ed in  outstripping  all  others  is  well  known ;  and  the 
fact  that  the  j)oorest  in  the  land  have  been  able  to 
purchase  a  book — no  matter  how  small  the  size  or 
price — whose  pictures,  whether  many  or  few,  would 
compare  with  the  very  finest  illustrated  works  pro- 
duced in  this  country,  has  had  no  small  influence  in 
educating  the  taste  of  the  people  and  creating  a 
desire  for  finely  illustrated  books,  thus  giving  a  high- 
er standard  and  impetus  to  the  book-trade  greater 
than  is  generally  acknowledged.  This  department  is 
skilfully  conducted  by  Mr.  Elias  J.  Whitney. 


DESCKIPTION    OF    TllACT   HOUSE.      91 


THE  PRESS  ROOM. 

There  are  employed  in  the  press  and  sheet  room 
fifty-eight  persons — forty-two  males  and  sixteen  fe- 
males. There  are  eighteen  Adams  presses,  two  cyl- 
inder presses,  and  one  hand  press.  Mr.  John  W. 
Brown  is  foreman  in  this  department,  and  has  been 
for  twenty-one  years. 

THE  DRYING  R003I. 

This  is  an  important  adjunct  to  the  establishment. 
Here  all  the  sheets  are  dried  before  they  pass  to  the 
bindery.  There  are  four  hydraulic  presses  in  this 
room. 

FOLDING  ROO:\I. 

It  is  no  small  matter  to  fold  all  the  sheets  that  go 
into  four  thousand  issues  daily.  Seven  are  employed 
constantly  in  folding  jDapers,  and  sixty  are  engaged 
in  folding  the  sheets  of  books. 

THE  BINDERY. 

There  are  employed  in  the  bindery  ninety-five  girls 
and  forty-three  men.  A  book  passes  through  many 
hands  beiore  it  is  ready  for  delivery  at  the  depository. 
Mr.  Andrew  Foot  is  superintendent  of  the  bindery, 
and  is  introducing  improvements  which  cannot  fail 
to  make  the  work  of  this  department  still  more 
acceptable. 


92  UNCLE    JOHN. 

HOW  THE  WORK  IS  DONE. 

The  printing  done  by  the  Tract  Society  is  not  sur- 
passed in  the  world.  Mr.  Baker,  of  Baker  k  God- 
"vvin,  the  well-known  printers,  testified  to  this  after  a 
tonr  among  the  foreign  iirinting  houses.  He  said  : 
* '  I  think  it  safe  to  say  there  is  no  secret  known  to 
the  European  i^rinters  which  we  are  not  in  posses- 
sion of.  Perhaps  I  may  be  mistaken  ;  but  I  believe 
we  can  duplicate  the  most  sumptuous  work  of  the 
English,  French,  or  German  press. 

"And  in  this  connection  I  cannot  forbear  speaking 
of  the  rapid  advancement  which  has  been  made,  com- 
paratively recently,  in  printing  here,  gi'owing  out  of 
the  increasing  demand  for  better  and  more  expensive 
books.  Perhaps  no  press  has  done  more  than  the 
Tract  House  to  develop  this  taste ;  and  I  have  often 
expressed  my  gratification  that  an  opportunity  was 
afforded  this  Society  to  exhibit  the  capacity  of  our 
workmen  to  develox?  the  beautiful  in  our  art.  I  am 
sure  the  objects  of  this  Society  have  not  been  per- 
verted in  thus  elevating  the  tastes  of  the  peojile,  and 
also  in  directly,  softening  the  hearts  of  the  pubUshers, 
who,  if  not  mentioned  in  the  Society's  preamble  as 
subjects  of  their  mission,  have  yet,  fortunately,  been 
reached  by  the  tract  printer's  excellence." 

MAILING  DEPARTMENT. 

Five  persons  are  engaged  all  the  time  in  mailing 
the  ChikVs  Paper  and  Messenger.  Mr.  Thomas  M. 
Lawrence  has  had  charge  of  this  department  for 
twenty-five  years. 


I^ESCKIPTION   OF    TRACT    HOUSE.      93 

THE  DEPOSITORY. 

The  depository  and  store  on  the  first  floor  is  in 
charge  of  Mr.  S.  W.  Stebbins.  The  sales  at  the  store 
amount  to  about  $50,000  per  annum,  aside  from  the 
general  work  of  the  Society. 

COEEESPONDENCE. 

The  correspondence  of  the  Society  is  very  large. 
About  ten  thousand  letters  are  received  every  year. 
All  the  letters  are  preserved,  and  have  been  since  the 
founding  of  the  Society.  They  are  bound  up  in  150 
volumes,  containing  1,000  letters  each,  all  ready  for 
reference. 

UNION  BASIS. 

The  publications  of  the  Society  are  all  based  upon 
the  truths  and  duties  generally  received  by  evangelical 
Christians.  The  Publishing  Committee  is  composed 
of  Presbyterian,  Congi-egational,  Baptist,  Episcopa- 
lian, and  Dutch  Reformed,  and  without  the  assent  of 
aU  no  book  is  issued.  The  book  department  sup- 
ports itself. 

BENEVOLENT  DEPAETMENT. 

The  donations  given  to  the  Society  last  year 
amounted  to  3160,000,  which  was  expended,  except 
what  was  given  to  increase  the  stock  of  publications, 
in  three  ways  : 

I.  Cash  to  foreign  missionary  boards. 

II.  By  grants  of  books  and  tracts  to  seamen,  sol- 


94  UNCLE   JOHN. 

diers,  chaplains,  literary  institutions,  humane  institu- 
tions, mission  Sabbath-schools,  missionaries,  and  to 
individuals  to  do  good  with.  About  one  third  of  the 
benevolent  receipts  of  the  Society  are  thus  spent 
yearly.  Since  the  Society  began,  forty-two  years  ago, 
$1,120,000  have  been  sjDent  in  this  way. 

III.  By  colporteurs — men  who  combine  with  the 
circulation  of  Bibles,  books,  and  tracts  by  sale  and 
gift  in  the  destitute  parts  of  the  land,  religious  con- 
versation, prayer,  formation  of  Sabbath-schools,  pro- 
motion of  temi^erauce,  etc. 

Colportage  originated  in  1841.  Colporteurs  of  the 
Society  have  performed  4,000  years  of  labor,  circula- 
ted 11,000,000  volumes,  and  made  9,600,000  family 
visits.  Grand  results.  There  are  at  jDresent  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  colporteurs.  Perhaps  one  half  of  the 
benevolent  funds  of  the  Society  are  exj)ended  annu- 
ally in  tliis  way. 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

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